Dementia
by Spinosa
Summary: People think I'm crazy. The Avengers aren't supposed to exist. And now I'm stuck in their world with no way out. Yeah, this is gonna end well. Title based off of Owl City's song, Dementia. Rated T for violence and swearing.
1. Chapter 1

"**Let us be the first to welcome you, Welcome to the, Life you thought was too good to be true, Welcome to the new, Look at you, Shiny and new, Look at you, ****You got the proof of purchase, You were purchased, 'Cause you're worth it, Look at you, Finding your groove, Don't you dare think That you're not worth it. 'Cause you're worth it, Yeah you're worth it**..." Welcome To The New, MercyMe

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**Chapter One  
**

Dear Fanfiction readers,

_I bet you're all wondering why I'm writing this. Actually, you could probably care less. But if anyone gets this message, than they will know that this is the day I died._

_Okay, I'm exaggerating._

_This is about the day my life changed. The day the Avengers was supposed to come out on DVD. Basically, it's an important day. So I'll just tell you my story of how this turned out._

. . .

Wait, I should probably tell you a bit about myself before we even get started. First off, I'm seventeen. My name's Emma, I go to high school, have a B average in class, and work a part time job at the closest bookstore. Sounds like an average life, right? Well my average life was about to say goodbye.

I suppose it all started at the beginning of summer break. It was on a Saturday, and one of my few days off. I took full advantage of the break and slept in, eager to catch up. Most of my nights were spent surfing the web or (with no regrets), watching movies. So needless to say I was very happy to take the morning off. As I lay there I thought about the day ahead of me.

Today I was supposed to meet up with some friends and finish a school project that was due at the beginning of the semester. Yeah, our wonderful teacher had decided to make it so. Right now though everyone was talking about the _Avengers_ movie coming out. I already had mine preordered, so I didn't have to worry about it getting sold out. I suppose if I didn't get off my lazy ass soon my friends would be tearing my door down.

Once out of bed, I quickly took a shower and checked my reflection. Everything seemed fine to me. Same brunette hair and brown eyes. I was letting my hair grow out, so it was longer than usual, growing to my ears. It's a good thing I could care less about my appearance. Anyone who thought otherwise would learn that the hard way, with a red mark on their face.

With that being said, I was quick to walk outside and enjoy the nice day. The streets were buzzing with activity. But a quick jog led me straight to the bookstore, where I had promised to meet up with my friends. Being a few minutes early gave me the advantage of checking to see if the movies were put on display yet. And I may or may not enjoy people watching. There was nothing more entertaining than watching someone make a mistake in public, even if I was often one of them.

It was at that moment my life changed forevermore.

I took a step inside, only to find the shelves were empty. My fellow employees didn't even give me a second glance as I walked in. The store itself - quiet and calm. It was like nothing had even happened. Like they didn't even notice I was there. Taking a deep breath, I pressed on to the lounge to see that everyone was already there.

Recognizing Casey, one of my best friends since the beginning of high school, I decided to see what was up. Maybe this was some kind of prank. Wouldn't surprise me, and it definitely wouldn't be the first time. I could still remember when the first Iron Man movie came out, everyone tried making it seem like it never even existed. It was until I nearly spazzed out that they handed me a copy.

"Hey, what's going on?" I tapped on her shoulder as they broke out in laughter.

"Um... who are you?" Casey turned around, raising an eyebrow when she finally noticed me. Sitting beside her was Erica, looking annoyed that someone had joined them. I tried to hold back my annoyance as it flared up.

"Come on, you know who I am," I replied in an accusing tone. She just exchanged a look with Erica, both looking rather confused. "You're seriously going to do this to me? It's bad enough the _Avengers_ isn't even out yet-" This time Casey just looked at me in disbelief.

"What the hell are you talking about?" A few of the girls gathered around her snickered, as if it was the funniest thing she had said. At this point my annoyance had reached it's boiling point. Casey actually looked scared as my eyes narrowed.

"If this is a joke than so tell me, I'll rip your bloody arms off!" And that was when things went from bad to worse.

One of the employees had noticed my ranting and called for security. I think it was at that point I realized something wasn't adding up. My coworkers didn't recognize me. And my friends had acted the same way. And as I was dragged out (literally due to the fact that I was still shouting), I knew that something had gone horribly wrong.

. . .

My mind was still reeling with the events that unfolded today. So let's go over the list:

First I wake up to a perfectly normal morning. Than when I get to the bookstore, the _Avengers_ isn't out on DVD like it should be. After that my coworkers acted like I didn't exist. And finally my friends treated me like total crap. Lets just say I was more than just pissed off. I was ready to cut someone's head off for this.

After a few minutes of deep breathing (it was one of the few methods that actually calmed me down. Learned it from The Incredible Hulk!), I decided to check my emails and surf the web for answers. Maybe if I was lucky I could find out what was going on.

And I find nothing. Not even the older movies like Iron Man or the Incredible Hulk. There was absolutely nothing Marvel related on the Internet. I even checked my Facebook page to see if anyone knew anything. And that was when it really hit me.

My account was gone. It was like I had never existed.

"What the fuck is going on here?" I shouted. I slammed a fist against my desk, nearly spilling the glass of tea I had next to my laptop. Upon realizing that, I quickly pushed it further ahead and clicked on the first link I noticed.

That was when I did a double-take.

The biggest news story on the web was about some guy named Steve Rogers. Apparently he was found in a pile of ice, frozen solid. And he was still alive. The original Captain America was still alive, and trending. Last I remembered he did wake up in the middle of the twenty first century. And it was the biggest shock he'd ever received.

So if this was the case, did that mean he was real? And if that was so, than how the hell did this happen?

Slamming the lid of my laptop shut, I decided it was better not to think about it. I was hoping this was all just some crazy dream kicking me in the ass. And if it was, I really, really hoped I woke up soon.

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**AN: So... this is the beginning of something a tad different from my usual writing. Normally I write for the Warriors series, but I really wanted to try something different. While the idea itself isn't new, I wanted to add my own ideas and see what would happen next. So please let me know what you thought of it, and whether or not I should continue.**


	2. Chapter 2

"**Brand new, Is that person in the mirror looking back at you, It's true, But you can't see it 'cause you're stuck on what you've been through You got that white knuckle, red faced, Kung fu grip on all your chains, But that's not who are, I'm here to let you know, You gotta let it go, You were made for something more, So come on and let it go, Oh oh oh**..." Gotta Let It Go, MercyMe

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**Chapter Two**

Blearily I opened my eyes. I was back in my bed. Or at least I thought I was back in my bed. That was the impression I got as I slowly rose. But as the blue haze surrounding my vision cleared, I noticed I was somewhere else. A room surrounded by thick steel walls. There were no windows peering out to the streets of New York City. Just a big empty room with a soft comfy bed to lay on. I didn't even question why I was here. All I did was straighten up to see what was going on.

Cameras were placed along the corner of the walls. For a moment I wondered why the hell anyone would need cameras in their own home. Than I slowly began to realize that this was not my apartment. That sudden realization only just dawned on me. And the more I thought about it, the angrier and more resentful I got.

"Where the hell am I?" I shouted to anyone who might be watching. The fact that someone was watching my every move should have crept me out. Strangely though I was actually comforted by it. Maybe someone would actually tell me what was going on here.

"You're on board the Hellicarrier." A new voice spoke up, causing me to jump. The Hellicarrier? My eyes widened in disbelief at the familiar name. According to the Marvel comics the Hellicarrier was run by SHIELD's very own Director Nick Fury. And as I turned my head slightly I noticed the intimidating figure standing in the room with his arms folded. "I'd like to know how you got on board this ship. It's impossible for anyone without an aircraft to get here," he added once the door slammed shut behind him.

Should I pull off a Scottie from Star Trek? Or should I keep my trap shut? Something told me Director Fury wouldn't take me seriously if I randomly shouted, "I like this ship!" So instead I straightened up and locked gazes with him, trying not to cave in.

"My name is Emma Karson, sir," I explained warily. I hoped that sounded formal enough without making him suspicious. "And I honestly can't explain how I ended up here. One minute I was in my apartment reading the news, and the next, I woke up here." I added the last part with a shrug, suddenly realizing how lame that sounded.

Director Fury just furrowed an eyebrow as he thought what I said through. For the most part I was surprisingly calm, despite waking up in a completely different room. Why wasn't I panicking? Last time that had happened I nearly had a panic attack. It's not a story I'd like to share. Needless to say I lost a good friend that following morning. "So you're telling me that you have no idea how you ended up here?" he finally asked. Shook my head no.

"Look, all I know is you're not even supposed to exist. The_ Avengers_ DVD was supposed to come out, I guess yesterday, and it wasn't even on the shelves," I said in a hurried voice. "This is all just a bad dream and I'll wake up soon." I'm still hoping on that theory. After all I've had stranger dreams.

"Do you really believe that?" This time he looked angry. And from what I've gathered from the Iron Man films, Fury was not the best person to piss off. I shrank back as he unfolded his arms and glared back at me with his one eye. "And what exactly do you know about the Avengers?"

"I know it took them a long time to make a good team," I replied with another shrug. "That they all have their differences, but that's what makes them an awesome team." I wasn't even sure what all I should tell him. I mean, if there was even the smallest chance that this wasn't a dream, than I didn't want a bullet in my heart.

If what I said surprised him he didn't show it. Instead he just left the room, looking more annoyed than anything else. And I was left on my own with the door locked. There was no way in hell he'd let some random kid wander around the Hellicarrier. So I guess I was stuck here until he discussed things with his fellow agents.

Running a hand through my hair, I kept wondering what was going on. My mind kept wanting to tell me this was a dream. But the room itself felt real. Director Fury himself had looked real. And that blue haze clouding my vision earlier had me wondering as well. Where exactly did that come from? Than another, more pressing thought had suddenly occurred to me.

What if I was somehow in the _Avengers_ movie? The idea sounded ridiculous. But I've seen stranger things happen in my life. With everything that was happening it all suddenly made sense. Maybe that was why there was no record of my existence. And that explained why my friends and coworkers didn't recognize me.

That was when the tears started forming. My life was a living lie. Well, maybe that sounded a bit melodramatic. But I couldn't help myself. The life I once lived was gone, and so were all the friends I made and lost, along with all the mistakes I've made. For once I wished this would all somehow end.

. . .

Hours seemed to drag on. I wasn't sure if hours or days had passed. No one seemed to care that I was slowly going mad being stuck in the room with nothing to do. So I resorted to singing to myself or thinking of all the movies I had watched when Fury wasn't interrogating me. After a while I got bored of that and began pacing. This was one of those moments when I wish I had my iPhone with me. At least I had plenty of music stored on it. But I'm sure SHIELD would've confiscated it if they saw me with it.

Now I leaned against the wall, observing the cameras that were watching me. Didn't SHIELD have anything better to do than watch me? Like making sure Loki didn't take the Tesseract from them? Speaking of which, I'm not even sure if that's happened yet. Obviously the Avengers haven't been formed. And it was at that moment the door slid open. I think the agent stepping in nearly regretted his actions when I gaped at him.

Okay, I'm a huge fan of the comics. And every one of my friends knew how much I loved Hawkeye and the Black Widow. Those two are like the perfect team. And to see agent Clint Barton walking in on me was nothing more than the biggest surprise of my life. For a moment I was at a loss for words. He just eyed me warily before I sat down, still refusing to look away for fear he might use me as his next target.

"So, you think we're all fictional characters." He chose to speak first, breaking the uneasy silence that filled the room.

First impressions are always important. I took that into consideration as I thought over what to say. If I said yes than he might believe me. Or he'd think I was completely insane and throw me in jail for the rest of my life. Than I realized that this was probably just his way of passing the time. Find out more information on the crazy girl who might be suffering from dementia. So I decided to play along with his charade.

"Well, it's more like a series of movies," I explained warily. Obviously I wasn't at the point where he gets brainwashed by Loki and turns on SHIELD. For a moment I was tempted to warn him about that. I'm sure those actions would cause more than just regret in the future. But something kept me from doing so. "So are you here to amuse yourself or to actually gain information?" This time it was my turn to ask the question. And for a brief second Clint actually looked surprised.

"More or less," he replied. He grabbed the chair that Fury normally sat in and leaned back. For the first time I noticed that he wasn't anything like Director Fury. And I was grateful for that, even though he was probably trying to find out more information. "So who has their own movies?"

Again I thought over how to answer that. Truthfully I was always thought he and Widow deserved their own movie. The pasts they had were full of tragedies that aren't really looked over in the films. Of course not too many people are aware of them in the movies, so I couldn't really blame them for that.

"Well, Tony Stark has two movies out... Thor Odinson and Captain America have their own movies too," I explained. "And Bruce Banners," I added after almost forgetting the Hulk. I didn't want an angry Hulk smashing me to pieces. "And than there's the Avengers movie. I'm not even sure how long it's been, but it was supposed to come out the day I woke up here." It was the day my life became a living hell.

"So you know what happens in this movie?"

My eyebrows furrowed as I thought this over. If I told him what happened than events would obviously turn out differently. Something told me I wasn't meant to interfere with any of these upcoming events. So instead I tried to keep my answer as blunt as possible. "The Tesseract... I'm guessing that you still have it."

That seemed to catch his attention. He suddenly leaned forward, looking more like the intimidating archer who could easily kill me without his arrows. "What do you know about it?" The question made my skin crawl with unease.

What do I know? That some crazy demigod known as Loki would step through your world, try turning you along with Dr. Selvig to the dark side, resulting in a war against the 'mighty' Chitauri and the Avengers forming into the ultimate team? Boy that was a mouthful, if I had said it loud. Thankfully I kept my trap shut and only stared back, trying desperately to think over an answer.

"I think you should keep an eye on it," I murmured thoughtfully. "I mean, if SHIELD is trying to find a better source of energy, than it could be lethal in the wrong hands."

"And just who would try to take it?" Again with the endless bomb of questions. I was getting tired of this, dealing with interrogation after interrogation. Bad enough Fury had to drill me with the questions, don't need them from one of my favorite characters.

"I can't answer that just yet." I really hoped I didn't look suspicious. 'Cause really, Clint could easily kill me if he wanted to. I'm sure Fury wouldn't mind it either, and they'd both have no regrets.

And we left it at that. I was left being stuck in the room once again, swearing under my breath a few times in the process. At this point even if they did remember me my friends would never believe me.

. . .

"_Agent Barton, I'm sending you along with Coulson to keep an eye on the Tesseract."_

_"What about the girl?"_

_"She's a security risk. Last I checked there are no files on an 'Emma Karson'. She isn't telling the truth, whoever she is."_

_"You can't just keep her locked up in there, she hasn't done anything wrong."_

_"Until I know for sure what is going on here, she stays locked up."_

_"Understood, sir._"

. . .

"_The Tesseract has awakened. It is on a little world. A human world. That they would wield it's power, but our ally knows its workings as they never will_."

My heart was racing. Beads of sweat ran down my face. For a moment I wondered what had happened. Than I noticed my vision was blurred again with that same blue haze. The Tesseract has awakened. Those words, those chilling words from the beginning of the movie played over and over again in my head. And all I could think of was that somehow, the Tesseract had brought me to this world. More than that, some part of the Tesseract was inside me. Or at least that was what I thought.

But the more I thought about it, the more exhausted I got. I didn't have much time to think over what had happened as my head hit the pillow once again (now I know why Fury never had the bed removed). I really hope this wasn't going to be a reoccurring incident.

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**AN: Couldn't resist updating early ;) So I was mildly surprised by all the positive responses I've gotten, and a big thank you to them! Really appreciate 'em :) I think you can tell at this point that Hawkeye and Black Widow are my favorite characters XD (Also, if you haven't noticed I use lyrics at the beginning of each chapter. Mostly to set up the mood ;))  
**


	3. Chapter 3

**_AN: Before I even start, I want to inform everyone that the title of this story is based off of a song from Owl City. Someone informed me that it may be offensive to some readers, but the song itself just fit the story perfectly. So apologies to those who find the title offensive._**

"**I just can't believe, Where my life was at, All that I know is that my heart was broken, And I don't ever wanna go back Ain't no explanation, How I saw the light, He found me and set me free, And it brought me back to life Blame it on the transformation, Changed down to the core, His love is real, And I can't sit still, Cause my name's not shamed no more, Great God Almighty, gonna change this, Great God Almighty, He gonna change me You gotta shake, shake, shake, Like you're changed, changed, changed, Brand new looks so good on you, So shake like you've been changed**..." Shake, MercyMe

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**Chapter Three**

I was beginning to wonder if this was how Loki felt when he got locked up after the movie. Not having anything to do but sit around and wait for some kind of punishment. I'm sure as hell Fury would throw me in prison once this was all over. It's not like I had anything keeping him from doing so now. The more I thought about it the more I was beginning to hate SHIELD for doing this to me. It wasn't my fault I ended up here.

Suddenly the door began to open, and I was tempted to run. But I've got next to no athletic skills, and I was certain Fury's agents would've caught me the moment I ran. So I was forced to stay in the room and watch as he grabbed a chair and sat in front of me.

"You were right about the Tesseract," he informed me.

"Did you really think I was lying?" I raised an eyebrow, trying to stay serious. Of course I had known all along what would happen. Not like I could tell SHIELD that Loki would steal the Tesseract and turn a few agents, Barton included, against them.

"There are no known records of an Emma Karson," he suddenly added. That caught me by surprise. Nothing? I mean, my Facebook account had been deleted and my friends and coworkers didn't recognize me. "Not even a birth record. So I'm inclined to ask what your real name is." The anger I felt earlier suddenly returned, this time to the point where I was ready to throw another barrage of swearing. Yeah, I may have slight anger issues.

"Look, my name_ is_ Emma Karson," I snapped. "I don't know how the hell it happened, but not even my own friends recognized me. I want to know what's going on!" To add to the show, I threw my hands in the air in frustration. Fury just eyed me curiously, than he said something that made my eyes widen in disbelief.

"I'm going to let you out of this room," he told me. "If what you're saying is true, than you can help us locate the Tesseract. I'm putting a lot of trust in you, don't waste it." I just stared at him as if he had grown wings. At this point he might as well have. All this time I was stuck in that damned room, and now he was letting me out?

Well I wasn't going to pass up that opportunity. It gave me the chance to explore the Hellicarrier. Only bits and pieces of it were shown in the movie. And now I was free to wander around and possibly offer my assistance. I sure hope I didn't screw things up.

Once Fury left the room, I was free to leave with the door wide open. I wasted no time in getting out, passing a few agents in the process. Most of them were probably headed for the bridge. I'm guessing that's where Steve Rogers and Bruce Banner were at the moment. For a second I wondered if Natasha would be there. Truthfully even though she was my favorite character, she still scared the crap out of me. There was no way I wanted to be locked in the same room as her.

It didn't take me long to find my way to the bridge. And sure enough Fury was giving orders every now and than. Standing in the room was a very familiar looking actor, or I should say Captain America himself. I swallowed and tried to keep myself calm as I approached the table he was standing in front of. I also recognized agent Phil Coulson, possibly one of my favorite SHIELD agents due to his bravery. I mean he was willing to die for the team to actually work together.

"You must be miss Karson." Steve took notice of me, and I froze midstep. What was I supposed to say? "Fury told me you'd be here," he added with the slightest of smiles. And my heart nearly melted. I swear Steve has to be one of the hottest heroes I've seen, next to Hawkeye.

"Uh... yeah." Shook his hand in greeting as Coulson looked at me in annoyance. Guess I ruined his moment with his favorite hero. I almost forgot that Coulson was such a fanboy with Captain America. "So what exactly happened?" I took the chance to figure out what would happen next. Obviously we weren't at the part where Loki gives himself up in Germany.

"We're still looking for the Tesseract," Coulson explained. "Director Fury was hoping that you could... offer some assistance in finding it." He paused as Steve frowned. I'm guessing that he hasn't been told that I was the crazy girl who thought this was just a dream.

"So you don't think I'm crazy?" Coulson just raised an eyebrow while Steve looked uncomfortable. It wasn't difficult to tell that Coulson did think I was crazy. Probably thought I needed to be tossed into the nuthouse now. "Loki took the Tesseract, and you want me to help you find it," I put in.

"You knew the Tesseract was acting up." I've seen the movie enough times in theaters to know exactly what would happen next. But I only kept my mouth shut, still unsure whether or not I should tell them. "Yet there are no records of your existence. Obviously you know what's happening, but you won't tell us your real name."

Before I could answer, one of the agents looking at the many monitors suddenly spoke up, "We got a hit. Sixty percent. Wait, seventy nine percent."

"Location?" Fury had joined us shortly after, eying the screen warily.

Stuttgart Germany. I've never been there. Actually I've never really been out of the country. My family stayed in one state for most of my life - good old Pennsylvania. It was only until last year I finally had it and moved out. Probably one of the dumbest moves I'd made, seeing as I left my only family behind and I was still a minor. But I could easily take care of myself, and had been doing so for over a year now.

Moments later Steve was headed for another room, likely to getting ready to suit up. I'm actually kind of glad I wasn't going. I wasn't sure if I was ready to face the wrath of Loki just yet. Besides, there was still plenty of exploring I needed to do on the Hellicarrier.

"You're going with him," Director Fury suddenly ordered. My heart nearly skipped a beat when he was suddenly at my side. Damn he moved fast, and silently.

"You can't possibly be serious?" I just looked at him doubtfully.

"Go and follow agent Romanoff before I change my mind," he snapped.

I stared at him a little longer, still unsure what to say. I hadn't seen Romanoff, so I wasn't even sure if she was around. But sure enough as I glanced towards the hall Steve had disappeared into, I recognized her immediately.

Okay, this should be interesting. Knowing that she was a fully trained assassin made me feel even more uneasy. Natasha was one of those people I've always admired, but would never want to cross paths with. And right now she was staring at me with a piercing gaze.

God I hoped she didn't kill me. Right now I was wishing that a hole would open up and swallow me. Or if this was a dream, I'd wake up already.

With a sigh of frustration, I simply decided it was better not to disobey a direct order. As soon as I reached her the tension began building. Silence greeted me when I locked gazes with her.

"You seem nervous." I was surprised when she broke the silence first.

"Yeah well, meeting a top assassin can do that to you," I retorted.

And my surprise turned to disbelief when Natasha smirked. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all. I just hoped that I could stay on her good side. I really didn't enjoy the idea of having the Black Widow as my enemy.

. . .

_"Sir, are you sure this is a good idea? Sending her into an unknown fight is dangerous, especially since she's just a civilian."_

_"I have my reasons. Something tells me this girl is somehow connected with the Tesseract, and it's recent capture."_

_"I really hope there's more to your plan than this."_

_"There always is."_

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**AN: So quick update, and slightly shorter chapter. Thanks Welcome to the New for reviewing! :)**


	4. Chapter 4

"**Bring your tired, Bring your shame, Bring your guilt, Bring your pain, Don't you know that's not you're name, You will always be much more to me Every day I wrestle with the voices, That keep telling me I'm not right, But that's alright 'Cause I hear a voice and He calls me redeemed, When others say I'll never be enough, And greater is the One living inside of me, Than He who is living in the world, In the world, In the world, And greater is the One living inside of me, Than He who is living in the world**..." Greater, MercyMe

* * *

**Chapter Four**

My thoughts were churning with anxiety as I got closer to my destination. I don't even want to know why SHIELD had Natasha drop me off here. Wouldn't it be safer to keep me in the jet? Or was Fury just testing me? If I chose to run now I'm sure he would easily catch me. Though he would have his hands full when Loki gave himself up.

The Stuttgart Oprah House was a massive building, and it shouldn't be hard to miss in such a small city. So why was I wandering around like an idiot? That question seemed to keep returning as I slowly made my way towards what I guessed was my destination. By now I'm guessing that Clint's already made his way past the guards. Which meant it wouldn't be long before Loki wreaked havoc in the building. Let's just say he needed an eyeball and be done with it.

I still cringed at that. Needing an eyeball made me think of all those horror movies I've refused to watch over the years. But hey, whatever got things moving at this point.

Once I crossed the street I noticed that there weren't any security guards around. Than I realized that they probably wouldn't even let me inside. I wasn't exactly dressed for the occasion. A hoodie and jeans weren't exactly formal clothes for such an event. Plus I never got the invitation.

So I guess I was supposed to stand here and wait until people came out screaming. That shouldn't take long, especially with Loki in the area. I had a feeling that once everything was in place this would move rather quickly.

While waiting for Loki to attack, I couldn't help but think of everything happening. First off I had that really strange, well I guess that it was a vision if anything else. I mean, if what I thought was true than this was all just a bad dream. Which I was still hoping I would wake up from.

The Tesseract. I'd mentioned it more than a few times and suddenly have a vision like that. What made me more anxious than anything else was how vivid that vision was. I could clearly make out a face, but I couldn't remember who or what he was. I just kept getting that really bad vibe that he was evil. And would do anything he could to take over the world.

Minutes seemed to pass before anything happened. I sat on one of the steps, twirling my hair with my finger while trying to pass the time. Boredom was never something I had to worry about before. Now I was beginning to see why. My life had always been hectic, and now I was left to just sit and wait.

Suddenly the sound of people screaming caught my attention. Glancing up I noticed that they were streaming out of the building, running in a panic. Well, I suppose it's time to run and hide. Loki really liked to put on a good show - his ego made Stark look like a saint.

I didn't get very far, and decided to take the chance and hide behind a statue. This was a chance to see Loki in action. And I was not missing that opportunity. So slowly and carefully I inched my way around so that he wouldn't hopefully notice me. Though with the luck I have, he already knew I was there.

He walked confidently down the stairs, outfit changing from a formal suit to a gold and green armor with that tacky looking helmet.

I just stood and watched as he ordered the crowd to listen. Obviously they weren't going to. They were panicking too much to even notice. All the while I was wondering when Steve would come in and stop this madness. Wasn't there someone who would stand up and almost get killed?

And of course he only got angrier.

"I SAID KNEEL!" He slammed the staff down, sending a shockwave throughout the area.

At this point everyone stopped running. An eerie silence fell upon the crowd as everyone began to do as they were told. I just watched with fascination as they looked at Loki with both fear and fascination. Much like my reaction when I first saw the movie. A few people had noticed me lurking behind the statue, desperation written across their faces.

"Is not this simpler? Is this not your natural state?" Loki began speaking, and already my stomach was doing back flips. This was one scene I had pretty much memorized. Loki had that powerful voice of his that always seemed to make everyone love him.

Of course here I could see that it was only stirring fear. Well done screenwriters. Tom Hiddleston was the perfect actor for Loki.

"It's the unspoken truth of humanity, that you crave subjugation. The bright lure of freedom diminishes your life's joy in a mad rush for power, for identity. You were made to be ruled. In the end, you will always kneel."

At this point I was already at a loss for words. It seemed to be happening a lot. I could listen to Loki's voice all day if I had to. This was what it felt like to be in the movie. And I wonder if this was what it was like when they were filming.

I was still pressing myself against the statue, afraid of what would happen if Loki noticed me. What I hadn't noticed were the clones scattered across the crowd. That was when one of the clones appeared next to me. I nearly squealed when I finally looked at the flickering image.

The clone suddenly grabbed me by the arm and dragged me away from the statue. I struggled in vein to free myself from his firm grip. The God of Mischief looked slightly amused at my failed attempt at fleeing.

"Did I not just tell you to kneel?" he demanded in a mocking tone.

Seeing him up close sent shivers down my spine. I've never actually met the actor Tom Hiddleston, so I couldn't exactly compare them. But Loki was definitely not the type of enemy I'd want to piss off. With a simple flick of his hand he could kill me faster than I could say his name.

My legs refused to move as he continued glaring down at me. Noticing the scepter he was holding, I swallowed nervously. That blue energy reminded me of the Tesseract, and I wondered if they were somehow connected. I wasn't about to find out.

"Well? I'm still waiting."

For what? I just shrugged and looked anywhere but him. Where was Steve with that shield of his? I could really use some backup right now. Of course knowing SHIELD they could be waiting for me to make the first move. Which I sure as hell wasn't about to.

The people around me were staring in wonder. Most of them were horrified, but a few had noticed that I refused to obey. And it was probably the stupidest thing I've ever done. Because I was about to become Loki's latest victim.

"Look at this mere child, people," he began, spreading out his arms like this was a huge deal. "Let her be an example."

I braced myself for the pain that would follow. Loki raised his scepter, the blue energy suddenly flashing violently. Still my legs were glued to the ground, while my mind was screaming at me to run.

The clone only held on tighter as I struggled once more. The energy was hurtling towards me. So I suppose this was my last dream. No one would even remember who I was or what I did. But I sure hope this would wake me up.

Closing my eyes I silently prayed to God that this would end quickly. Hey, there may be an angry God of Mischief glaring at me but I still believed in one God. No one could ever change my mind about that.

The blast never came.

To my surprise and relief, I was still alive as the burst of blue energy surrounded me. I opened my eyes to see that it was already dissolving into nothing. Thank you Father above! Looks like my prayers had actually been answered this time.

Loki looked at me in confusion and anger. Mostly anger. I wiped away the tears that started falling and glared back as Loki tried figuring out what was going on. Clearly someone had interfered with the blast. So he fired again.

And it dissolved again into nothing. The same thing happened again and again, until frustration got the better of him. Not a good sign for me, as I was still shaking from the experience. He suddenly grabbed me by the collar of my sweater and held me up.

"What are you?" he demanded. I only responded by struggling even more, trying desperately to get away.

"Let me go!" That only seemed to piss him off more.

He suddenly threw me into the statue and held up his scepter against my throat. For a brief moment we locked gazes. I saw a mixture of anger and something else within those eyes.

"I am a God!" he snapped. "And you will bow to me!"

"I only believe in one God!" I choked back; it took a lot of effort not to cave in.

That only seemed to make him angrier as he tightened his grip around my neck, cutting off my oxygen. My breathing had become ragged, to the point where I thought I might pass out. Just as I thought this was it, a shield suddenly flew towards us. Loki blocked the shield with ease thanks to his scepter, but he dropped me in the process.

I was gasping for air as I fell to the ground. Checking to make sure he hadn't done anything to my neck, I let out a sigh of relief. Hopefully his grip wouldn't leave any marks.

The shield flew back to it's owner. I spotted Steve standing not far away, the parachutes he'd used falling to the ground. He looked good in his new suit, looking rather surprised to see Loki standing beside me like a predator.

"You know, the last time I was in Germany and saw a man stand above everyone else, we ended up disagreeing." Ah yes, the fight between him and the Red Skull. Who wouldn't forget that battle? But seeing him now I wondered how much he knew about Loki.

He looked surprised when he finally noticed me. I remember all the arguing between him and Fury, disagreeing that it was a bad idea to send an unarmed teenager into battle. And not for the first time I had to agree with him. By far this was one of Fury's worst ideas.

"The soldier. A man out of time." Loki smirked as Steve lifted his shield.

"I'm not the one who's out of time."

As he said that the jet Natasha was flying earlier suddenly appeared above us. Where were they five minutes ago? Getting pizza?

"Loki, drop your weapon!" That was Natasha's voice over the speaker. And Loki just fired another shot of energy towards the jet. Really, telling someone to drop their only weapon was a dumb thing to say.

Suddenly Loki attacked Steve and fired another shot of energy at him. Steve blocked the energy with his shield, but it still sent him reeling back.

"Kneel!" Loki shouted once he had Steve pinned to the ground.

"Not today!" Steve shot back. He did a back flip and knocked Loki out from under his feet with his leg.

Why couldn't I perform moves like that? Maybe it was time I learned some self defense. If I was lucky maybe Steve could actually teach me when this was all over.

Guess it was time to sit back and watch them brawl it out. I've watched this scene so many times that I knew how it would play out. Soon enough Tony would arrive and make fun of Loki's helmet. And than the rest of the movie would finally play out.

Loki was getting ready to charge again when a blast came from nowhere, knocking him aside. Steve just turned and looked at me, and I shrugged. Well at least I know for sure that Tony was joining us. "Don't look at me," I told him.

It didn't take long for the red and gold suit to appear. Iron Man landed on the concrete not far from where Loki and Steve were standing. Tony raised his arm and pointed it towards Loki.

"Make your move, reindeer games."

That was enough to crack me up. Don't ask me why but for some reason that scene always made me laugh. Maybe because it was true - the helmet did make Loki look like a reindeer. I know I could never find myself wearing something like that in public.

Loki dropped his scepter and put his arms up in surrender.

"Good move." Tony turned to Steve, than to me.

"So you're the crazy kid I've been hearing about," he commented as Steve helped me up. I couldn't say a thing. My mouth was dry from all the shouting I'd done earlier. "What, too awestruck for words?"

"Are you hurt?" I only shook my head in response. Still a bit dazed actually from what had happened.

"She's just at a loss for words seeing me for the first time," Tony pointed out.

"Getting shot at by a repulser blast is never a good first impression," I retorted.

Tony just smirked at me as the jet lowered to the ground. Once it landed Tony and Steve held up Loki by the arms, making sure he didn't disappear on them. Something told me this was going to be a long and uncomfortable flight.

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**AN: Thank you everyone for your wonderful reviews :) I'm really enjoying writing this. And yay for fast updates ^^**


	5. Chapter 5

"**Mercy mercy, Bring me to my knees, As the morning, Calls to light the dark in me Heaven's story, Breathing life into my bones, Spirit lift me, From this wasteland lead me home, Now I, Find my life in Yours, My eyes, On Your name...**" Mercy Mercy, Hillsong United

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**Chapter Five**

I almost forgot about the fight scene between Thor and Tony. And sure enough it was coming up as we headed back for the Hellicarrier. Having a dangerous God of Mischief glaring at you wasn't exactly a conversation starter. So we stood there in an awkward silence. I was still trying to figure out what exactly had happened back there. When Loki tried attacking me with his magic scepter nothing happened.

To make matters worse I was exhausted. Not to the point where I might pass out. But I wasn't used to running around that much. That might also explain why I wasn't in fangirl mode when Tony Stark, AKA Robert Downey Jr. came into the picture. Although I will admit, he isn't my favorite in the movie.

And now Loki was giving me the death glare. I'm not even sure why. It's not my fault he was captured or let himself get captured. That same uneasy feeling came back as I glanced over at Tony and Steve.

"I don't like it." Steve finally broke the silence, looking in Loki's direction while Tony just grinned.

"What? Rock Of Ages giving up so easily?" Tony was acting like this was nothing.

"I don't remember it being that easy. This guy packs a wallop."

That comment was something I hadn't heard in a long time. Glancing over I noticed that Loki was smirking in amusement. Tony and Steve were too busy chatting to notice, and he was probably lucky they hadn't. I wondered if I should tell them about Thor. Maybe Tony wouldn't rush into battle and try to deal with this in a 'civilized' manner. Though something told me that would never happen, especially with Thor. Once again I kept my mouth shut, still unsure whether or not that was a good idea.

"Hm." Moments later and Tony was in front of me, arch reactor nearly blinding me in the process. "So, you don't look like you work for SHIELD. I've read some of the reports Fury made, what's your story?"

Shouldn't surprise me that Fury's already made reports on me. That would explain how Tony had already known who I was back in Stuttgart. I just kept my mouth shut, still not willing to say a thing.

"Normally I can't get kids to shut up around me," Tony said with a huge grin.

Another long wave of silence followed. I was beginning to wonder if this would be a reoccurring thing now that I was stuck in this world. If so than this was going to be very boring.

"I'm going to keep interrogating you until you answer me," Tony warned me. "So... if you think we're all fictional characters, than who's your favorite?"

That made even Steve look at me curiously. And I couldn't contain the blush that followed. If I told them Hawkeye and Widow were my favorites, they might throw me out of the jet. "I don't really have a favorite," I replied after taking a deep breath.

"You're lying." Ignoring the statement, I turned to see that the storm clouds generated by Thor's arrival had yet to reach us. So the best thing to do now was play along with Tony until that moment happened. "So, you have any family?"

"I have a mom and dad, and a sister," I replied with a shrug. My sister was a substitute teacher over at East Stroudsburg Pennsylvania. As far as I was concerned we'd never really gotten along, so she didn't even know I'd moved away.

Luckily Tony finally seemed satisfied with some kind of answer. But than Steve had to drop the bomb by asking, "Do you parents know you're here?"

And that's when it really hit me that they might not even know who I am. If my own friends didn't recognize me than my parents might not. That sudden realization made my stomach lurch. I may not be close to my sister, but I did care about the rest of my family.

"I... don't know," I admitted. Steve exchanged a look with Tony.

The regret I had felt earlier suddenly returned. Maybe this wasn't a dream after all. I mean, everything else had felt so real.

And that was when the rain started. Glancing out the window, I noticed that the clouds began gathering around us. I was grateful that Natasha was an excellent pilot. We'd be in trouble if she wasn't. And that was one of the many reasons I admired her. At this rate the rain was pouring harder, and a torrent of wind swept past us.

I stole a quick look over at Loki. He was still staring at me with those dark eyes, almost as if trying to figure me out. I stared back, locking gazes with him once again. We could have a staring contest all day if he wanted. It wasn't going to get him anywhere. His magic scepter was locked away somewhere safe. Without it he wasn't nearly as intimidating. But I still wasn't going to take my chances with him.

Lightning suddenly streaked across the sky, followed by the roll of thunder. I was reminded of the days when I was just a child. Back than I was terrified of thunderstorms. The only way my mom calmed me down was by staying in the room with me. For some reason I had always felt safe with her.

Another flash of lightning, and than the jet started to rattle violently. I grabbed hold of one of the bar handles as I started losing my balance.

"Where'd this come from?" Natasha asked. No one seemed to provide an answer. Part of me wanted to announce that Thor was probably on the roof, ready to take Loki. But another part of me wanted to watch how this scene would unfold.

I glanced over at Loki. He was gripping the seat, now looking rather fearful. I could understand why.

"What's the matter?" Steve taunted. "Scared of a little lightning?"

Not exactly the best thing to say when one's brother was the God of Thunder. I was surprised Loki didn't glare back.

"I'm not overly fond of what follows," he replied.

As soon as he said that a loud noise followed from outside, signaling the arrival of our favorite Asgardian. This was going to end well. I could already see Steve and Tony looking at Loki, as if trying to find someone to blame this on. Due to the rattling motion upon Thor's arrival, both Tony and Steve had lost their balance. I just held on to the pole for dear life. There was no way I was going to be the victim of Thor's might hammer.

In a matter of seconds the door suddenly fell open. Wind and rain poured in from the outside. And lucky me got soaked from it.

Both Steve and Tony were prepared for a fight, but Thor was faster. He threw Mjölnir at Tony, the hammer colliding with his Iron Man armor. Tony fell back, Mjölnir returning to Thor as he grabbed Loki by the throat and dragged him away.

Everything happened so fast. Tony flew out with his Iron Man suit, announcing that if Thor killed Loki than the Tesseract would be lost forever. And Steve was struggling to put on a parachute while Natasha told him to sit this one out.

"I only believe in one God ma'am, and I'm pretty sure He doesn't dress like that," Steve replied before following Tony.

And that's why I loved Steve so much. Despite all the crazy shit happening right now, he still believed in one God. The best thing to do here was stay around with Natasha and make sure I didn't get my ass handed to Thor and Loki.

"_Are you sure this is a good idea?_"

"_Moving out is the best option for me. Not like I have anything to lose._"

"_This isn't about what happened, is it?_"

"_I'd rather not talk about that._"

"_Emma, talking about it may be the only way to move on. What exactly happened?_"

My heart was beating wildly as those voices rattled my brain. I haven't thought of that in a long time. And they were memories I'd rather keep buried deep. Already I could feel the burning sensation return. Glanced down at my now soaked sleeve. And I wish I hadn't. Almost at once the scars on my arm started to burn.

Not now... definitely not the best time for this. My teeth ground together as I waited for the worst to happen. Slowly but surely the burning began to fade. I let out a sigh of relief and rubbed my hand up and down my arm, careful not to start it up again.

"Are you okay?" I flinched when Natasha asked the question. For a brief second she must have noticed how uneasy I was getting.

"Never better," I replied, hoping she'd buy that for now. I'm sure she could see right through any lie. But now wasn't the best time to get distracted, especially with four super powered men on the loose. Thankfully she left it at that.

Yeah, never mentioned much about my past life. Part of the reason I moved away was to get away from the past. Everyone else told me to move on and forget about it. But there was always some part of me that would never forget.

It felt like hours passed before the four of them returned. Once again Loki was situated between Thor and a very uncomfortable me. I really hoped this flight wouldn't last too long.

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**AN: So not much happening here, aside from a few more mysteries about Emma. Hopefully everyone else is enjoying this as much as I enjoyed writing it ^^ Thanks everyone for reviewing, you guys are awesome!**


	6. Chapter 6

"**Lately I been, I been losing sleep, Dreaming about the things that we could be, But baby, I been, I been prayin' hard, Said no more counting dollars, We'll be counting stars, Yeah, we'll be counting stars I see this life, Like a swinging vine, Swing my heart across the line, In my face is flashing signs, Seek it out and ye shall find Old, but I'm not that old, Young, but I'm not that bold, And I don't think the world is sold, I'm just doing what we're told I feel something so right, By doing the wrong thing, And I feel something so wrong, By doing the right thing, I couldn't lie, couldn't lie, couldn't lie, Everything that kills me makes me feel alive...**" Counting Stars, OneRepublic

* * *

**Chapter Six**

I was asked to pay Dr. Bruce Banner a visit once we returned. That burning sensation I felt earlier kept coming back every few minutes. I kept telling myself that it was nothing. That the fight with Loki had just riled me up. Unfortunately said demigod was being led in the same direction, towards his new quarters. I made a point to avoid him at all costs. Last thing I wanted to do was have a chat with the dude that tried killing me hours ago. I could already see it in the news:

"Teenager gets killed out of sheer stupidity. No further detail required."

Once I reached the lab Natasha had mentioned, I spotted Bruce working at the many monitors spread throughout the room. How many monitors did one government agency need? I don't remember seeing this many in the movie itself. Than again I had never really paid any attention to the background.

"Uh, hi." Banner looked up from his work, pinching the bridge of his nose when he noticed me standing in the room. "I was told to um... pay you a visit," I explained sheepishly. I really hoped I didn't make him Hulk out.

"Yeah, Fury told me you'd be here soon," he grumbled. "He also told me you seem to know what's going on around here." I didn't miss the look of worry in his eyes.

"Well, so much for keeping secrets," I muttered under my breath. I wonder what else Fury's told them. Hopefully not enough to make me seem like the biggest threat here. Because really, there was a demigod not far from here who's already killed eighty people in less than a week.

Bruce only replied with a shake of his head before grabbing what looked like a needle. And all at once my arm started to flare up. Carefully I pulled up the sleeve on my right arm. Three long scars could be clearly made out, marks of the past I'd suffered from. And to my horror they were bright red. I dropped my sleeve as soon as he turned around, needle in hand.

"If you don't mind... Fury wanted me to take a blood sample and find out exactly what's going on here," he added warily. That would explain why Fury sent me here. I had wondered why, since I really had nothing to do with Loki's capture and all. Maybe Fury wanted to see whether or not I really was telling the truth.

"I take it you were given orders to take my blood sample?" Bruce looked at me in confusion as I shook my head. This was one of those times I really wished this was just a dream. Somehow I was beginning to believe that it wasn't. The scars wouldn't have flared up like that if it was a dream. "Sorry, I'm just not a big fan of needles."

"You and me both," he replied. He attached what looked like a vial to the end of the needle. "I don't think I've ever met anyone who enjoys being stabbed with needles." I tried not to wince as he took some blood from my left arm. Luckily he didn't question as to why I had chosen that side. "So you believe we're fictional characters, right?" He immediately started working on the sample after applying a bandage.

"Uh... yeah," I said with a shrug. "I mean, the whole Marvel universe is kind of fictional. But quite a few people like to believe that it's real." And by few I mean some of the more eccentric people. But I'd rather not judge them by appearance or behavior. We all had our own quirks. "I'm just more annoyed that everyone seems to have forgotten me, and that none of my records even exist."

Wow, me treating Banner like a psychologist. I never thought this would happen. And I'm guessing that he wasn't expecting to talk this much either. He seemed content working on his own in silence.

"I suppose the Other Guy is more popular where you come from," he suddenly pointed out.

I bit the bottom of my lip, suddenly aware that Bruce probably had better things to do than chat with me. Yet he chose that moment to talk about the 'Other Guy', otherwise known as the Hulk. I've seen the movie the Incredible Hulk about a dozen times, and I have to say, I feel really sorry for him. All the crap he has to go through in order to survive, and for what? Compared to his life mine seemed like the perfect place to live.

"He is," I murmured. "Though I think I prefer you over the guy with anger issues," I added more carefully.

"Really?" He looked genuinely surprised. "What makes you say that?"

Again I thought it over. I had to admit that the Hulk was pretty awesome. But being intelligent and having something like that lurking within was impressive. And I've always preferred intelligence over brawn any day, which is why I've always loved Black Widow.

"The world could always use a little more intelligence these days," I replied. That much was true.

For most part Bruce was quiet as he studied the blood sample he took. I doubted he actually believed anything I said. It was nice to spill out a few things here and there, even if they refused to believe me. Now I was beginning to understand how the Boy Who Cried Wolf felt.

"Director Fury wants you to report to the bridge." Both Bruce and I looked up as Maria Hill joined us. I was wondering when I'd see her. Didn't know much about her, but than again I've never really cared all that much. Guess I wasn't going to find out what blood type I was any time soon.

With a shrug I followed her, eager to get away. Not that I didn't like Bruce. I just wasn't sure what else to say without giving anything away. He seemed friendly enough despite what he had to put up with. And right now my friends would be totally jealous if they knew what I had gotten myself into.

"How desperate am I?"

I froze when I recognized Director Fury's voice. Turning slightly I noticed the room where Loki was being locked up. Agent Hill was already well ahead of me, oblivious to the fact that I wasn't following. So much for following my own advice. Didn't she tell me that the Mad-Eye Troll was waiting for me on the Bridge?

This was one of those moments where I talk with Loki, find out what he's really planning and see if I can turn him to the good side. Or not. Truthfully I was terrified of the guy. I wasn't in any hurry to have my ass handed to me again.

"You threaten my world with war. You steal a force you can't hope to control. You talk about peace and yet you kill 'cause it's fun. You have made me _very_ desperate. You might not be glad that you did."

I have to hand it to Fury, he knew how to make a good speech. Remind me not to get on his bad side. I kept myself hidden behind the corner, careful not to make any sudden movements. If Loki saw me now Fury would never let me see the light of day.

"Oh, it burns you to have come so close. To have the Tesseract. To have power. Unlimited power. And for what? A warm light for all man kind to share - and then to be reminded what real power is."

Did I mention how arrogant Loki is? I knew he was from watching Thor, but now seeing him in person made me realize just how arrogant he really was.

"Well let me know if 'real power' wants a magazine or something."

Fury walked off to I guess the bridge. Which meant he'd be looking for me. Hopefully he wouldn't be too pissed off if he found out where I really was. I waited until I knew for sure that he was gone. By now Loki was sitting at the center of the prison, legs crossed as if he was meditating.

"I know you're there, mortal." My blood suddenly ran cold when he spoke up. I took a deep breath and stepped out of the corner, noticing not for the first time that he was eying me curiously, as if studying his prey. "I wonder, if it's curiosity or fear that has driven you to me?"

And cue the arrogance once again. Sounds like something Megatron would've said from the Transformers movie. Thank God I wasn't sucked into that movie. While I was a huge fan of the series I don't think I could deal with Autobots and Decepticons shooting at me all the time.

"I was told you believe we are nothing more than fictional characters," he goaded on, trying to get some response. I kept my mouth shut and simply nodded. Seeing as Clint was his brainwashed zombie, I'm guessing he's already told Loki everything. "The mortal from another world." He paused, and for a moment I thought about what he had said.

"So I suppose you think I'm crazy too," I muttered under my breath. I made sure I kept my distance from him, even though he could easily teleport anywhere he desired. Loki was dangerous, that much I knew. And the only thing keeping us apart was bulletproof glass.

"Oh, I don't think so." He suddenly stood up, and I took another step back, bumping into a rail in the process. "I've seen things that make this life seem irrelevant. My eyes have been opened to the truth of this world - that we are nothing but pawns in a much bigger game."

I was surprised. What he said made sense, in a crazy sort of way. Fate was cruel sometimes. And we were nothing more than pawns. But I've learned over time that the only way to beat the game was to play along with it, and choose my own future.

"So what truth are you talking about?" I leaned against the rail, hoping that I wasn't letting my fear show. "If what you're saying is true, than you're nothing more than a pawn being used for someone's benefits," I added.

"I will not be spoken to in such a manner!" Loki suddenly shouted. "I am a God, and you are nothing more than a mere mortal! One day you will bow down to me!"

Yep, this guy was a crazy bag full of cats, as Bruce would say. I would never bow down to him. All that talk of being compared to mortals only made me realize why I was never a fan of Loki. Though in ways I do feel sorry for him. He grew up believing he was Asgardian, and found out that he was the thing Asgardians were taught to fear. I think it was at that point he started going nuts. It didn't help that he was constantly being compared to Thor, living in his older brother's shadow.

"I'll never understand why Thor is so desperate to save you." I almost winced at my statement. True, it was just a way to piss Loki off and catch him off guard. But it was a stupid move, and one that would likely get me killed.

"What?" Loki looked even more confused than ever, and I tried not to laugh at his puzzled expression.

"I've always believed in second chances, in forgiveness," I explained warily. "That no one is ever truly evil. But what you've done... that's unforgivable." This time Loki smirked, and that fear I felt earlier suddenly returned.

"You believe that I am a monster? Like the ones that attacked you so many years ago?" My eyes widened when he mentioned that little tidbit.

All at once memories of my days as a child came rushing back. Memories I'd rather keep locked away. At the time I was still in school, trying to get by in life. That was when the students began taunting me for my belief. The ridicule and name calling never seemed to end. Than came the middle school years, and it was at that time I was attacked.

"That's in the past," I tried stuttering, but I could already feel the scars on my arm burning. Their taunting laughs as they gathered around the school yard were almost overwhelming. One of the students had taken a knife with him - how he managed to get by with it was beyond me, and none of the teachers outside seemed to notice what was going on.

"Yet you still have nightmares." Loki sat back down and looked straight at me, eyes showing no concern.

I knew that I wasn't going to get much information out of him this way. So instead of continuing this downhill conversation, I decided it was best to leave. The memories of those days still haunted me. They always would. But I had to move on. Revenge was never the answer, and hopefully Loki would learn that as well, even if he had to learn the hard way.

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**AN: Couldn't resist adding one of my favorite band's songs. Love OneRepublic :D And you get to learn a bit more about Emma's past. Yeah, lots of things happening here and there. So uh, thanks everyone for your reviews!**


	7. Chapter 7

"**I'm Tired I'm worn, My heart is heavy, From the work it takes, To keep on breathing, I've made mistakes, I've let my hope fail, My soul feels crushed, By the weight of this world And I know that you can give me rest, So I cry out with all that I have left, Let me see redemption win, Let me know the struggle ends, That you can mend a heart, That's frail and torn, I wanna know a song can rise, From the ashes of a broken life, And all that's dead inside can be reborn, Cause I'm worn...**" Worn, Tenth Avenue North

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**Chapter Seven**

The bridge was buzzing with activity by the time I reached it. I spotted Thor chatting with Agent Coulson not too far away from where I was standing. Still unsure of what was going on, I slowly made my way over to them. And wow, I've never noticed how brawny Thor looked up close until now.

"As soon as Loki took the doctor we moved Jane Foster. We've got an excellent observatory in Traunsee. She was asked to consult there very suddenly. Handsome fee, private plane, very remote. She'll be safe," Coulson told him.

I still wonder why Thor's never tried paying Jane a visit during the movie. This was probably the only chance he had before dear old Odin whisked him away again. Coulson finally noticed me standing there and nodded with the faintest of smiles. He was one of the few agents I actually really liked, aside from Natasha and Clint. That was probably because he always had a charming personality about him I enjoyed.

And Thor was still oblivious to me. Maybe that was a good thing. Having already met his brother, I wasn't exactly in the mood for another rude greeting. Meanwhile Thor was blaming himself for what had happened. And added the fact that Dr. Selvig and Jane had changed his life. I had to laugh when Thor finally mentioned the Bilgesnipe.

Coulson only looked at Thor in confusion. "...Like what?"

"Bilgesnipe. You know, huge, scaly, big antlers. You don't have those?" Thor looked at Coulson curiously as he only shook his head. I tried imagining what a Bilgesnipe would look like. Huge and scaly made me think of dragons for some reason, especially when it came to the big antlers (hey, I was already stuck in a world that wasn't supposed to be real, why not dream about my favorite mythical creature?).

"Don't think so," Coulson finally replied.

This was something I'd have to look up when I had free time. Hopefully I actually did have free time, though with the luck I have Fury would never let me go. Thor finally seemed to take notice of my presence. His eyes widened as he looked down at me.

"They are repulsive, and they trample everything in their path," he explained. Why does that sound so familiar? "I am Thor Odinson of Asgard. May I ask of your name, fair lady?" He held out his hand in greeting.

Embarrassment washed over me as soon as he said that. I was anything but a fair lady. But I had to admit that Thor was being oddly kind considering the circumstances we were under. "Emma Karson," I replied and took it. But instead he leaned forward and kissed it, my cheeks turning an even deeper read.

Than he seemed to realize that I was the one Loki had attacked in Stuttgart. It was almost... weird to watch someone behaving so humbly around someone like me. Never thought I'd see this happening in my lifetime. "I apologize for my brother's actions," he said.

"You know what, I think I've been through worse," I murmured with a shake of my head. In truth facing Loki was probably the most terrifying moments in my life. But there was no need to make Thor feel any more guilty than he already did. "It isn't your fault this all happened."

Oh no, it was all Odin's fault! If he had been a better father than perhaps Loki wouldn't have turned out this way. Now I suddenly understood why Loki was the way he was after recalling the events in the movie Thor. Thor was always the favored son, and jealousy and rage eventually consumed Loki.

"When I first came to Earth, Loki's rage followed me, and your people paid the price." While he looked relieved I didn't blame him, he still looked worried, and was blaming himself for what his brother had turned into. "And now again... in my youth I courted war."

I wasn't even sure what to say to that. I've never sought out war or revenge. I always believed in second chances... and that might be why I'm here today. Part of me always felt like God was watching over me, making sure I didn't do anything stupid. And than I end up getting caught up in SHIELD's business.

"War hasn't started yet. You think you can get Loki to tell us where the Tesseract is?" I didn't even notice Director Fury joining us. Makes me wish I could move that silently. All I could do was waltz around and look like an idiot doing that.

Well, I can honestly say Loki will probably never provide the answer to Fury's question. The guy was crazy. I couldn't help but think back to what he had said about me. My past was something I never wanted to relive. Yet seeing Loki, talking to him, had reawakened some part of it.

"Then why do I feel like he's the only person on this boat who wants to be here?" Fury gave Thor a look that said 'you know more than you're letting on'. Clearly Thor knew nothing of his brother's intentions. And I did. I didn't have much of a say in the matter - I was pretty much stuck on this ship for who knows how long. And afterwords Fury might just throw me in prison, if I was lucky. "If you know anything than now would be a wise time to speak up," he suddenly added after glancing at me.

"I'm about as clueless as the rest of you," I replied, hoping he would buy that excuse. Thankfully he kept on chatting with Thor, and I took the chance to slip away.

It was one of those moments where I wished I knew my way around this place. Why couldn't SHIELD put up direction signs? Oh wait, SHIELD didn't normally have civilians being held captive. On the plus side I did find the lab again. And I wasn't surprised to see Tony in there chatting away with Bruce.

"Hey, it's SHIELD's future mascot!" Tony announced when he spotted me. "What brings you to the land of geniuses?"

"I thought Iron Man was SHIELD's mascot?" I folded my arms and rolled my eyes when he smirked. "I do have a name you know," I added in an accusing tone.

"Yeah, not important enough for me to care," he retorted. Than he looked at Bruce as the gamma scientist looked slightly amused. "What?"

"Are you always like this around strangers?" Tony just shrugged at the question and looked back at the monitors. "The gamma readings are definitely consistent with Selvig's reports on the Tesseract. But it's going to take weeks to process."

"If we bypass the main frame and direct route to Homer cluster, we can clock this at around six hundred terraflops."

I think my brain just melted. None of what he said was making sense.

"So, exactly how did you block Loki's attack?" I sat on the desk while they went back to work. Guess I wasn't going to be left out for the first time. But what Tony asked did drawl out my curiosity. I still wondered how that had happened. And obviously I was not the only one who noticed.

"Dunno," I muttered with a shrug.

"Ah come on, you have to have some kind of power in order to block the 'magic wand'." Tony smirked while I just glared at him in response.

"I only have the power to annoy people, and possibly get myself killed in the process," I retorted.

"You know you should come by Stark Tower some time - not you." I rolled my eyes when he aimed the words at me. "Top ten floors all R & D. You'd love it. It's like Candyland."

"Thanks but... the last time I was in New York I kind of broke... Harlem," Bruce replied as Tony stood beside him.

"Well, I promise a stress-free environment. No tension, no surprises."

It was at that point Tony suddenly poked Bruce with what looked like a miniature cattle prod, causing him to jump in surprise. Tony turned, still smirking to see how I would react if Bruce was ready to Hulk out.

"Hey!" I turned just in time to see Steve standing in the room, looking more than just annoyed with Tony's actions.

"Nothing?" Tony looked impressed, ignoring Steve's interruption and giving Bruce a curious look.

"Are you nuts?"

"Jury's out," Tony replied before looking back at Bruce. "You've really got a lid on it, don't you? What's your secret? Mellow jazz? Bongo drums? Huge bag of weeds? What do you think, oh crazy one?" He turned towards me, grinning like an idiot.

"Considering you're an egotistical pain in the ass, I'm surprised he does put up with you," I retorted.

Tony's grin only just grew wider. I really wish I could slap that smirk off his face. Now I remembered why he wasn't my favorite character.

"Kids these days, you'd think they would know better," he muttered under his breath.

"Maybe if you actually treated her with respect she'd return the favor," Steve retorted.

I looked at Steve, surprised that someone actually stood up for me. I made a mental note to thank him later on if I lived through this. At least someone was trying to give me fair treatment, even if he did think I was crazy.

"It's alright. I wouldn't have come aboard if I couldn't handle pointy things," Bruce explained.

"You're tip-toeing, big-man," Stark said. "You need to strut."

He shot me another smirk, and I just rolled my eyes this time.

"And you need to focus on the problem, Mr. Stark," Steve snapped. He kept glancing between me and Tony, and suddenly I understood why he was so uncomfortable.

Oh God no, we were not flirting. Not even close. And why would I even think of something like that?

"Do you think I'm not?" Tony looked back at Steve, narrowing his eyes. "Why did Fury call is in? Why now? What isn't he telling us? I can't do the equation unless I have all the variables." I always hated math, and math terms.

"You think Fury's hiding something?"

"He's a spy. Cap, he's _the_ spy. His secrets have secrets." Well that much was true. I wasn't about to argue with that. "You wanna know why Fury has some random kid locked up on the Hellicarrier? We only found out about her thanks to Romanoff, and who knows what she knows about us. And if she isn't crazy than she might just know exactly what's about to happen. It's bugging him too, isn't it?"

This time it was Bruce's turn to look uncomfortable.

I wonder how long it took for Fury to keep my presence a secret. Surely Romanoff of all agents wouldn't have told anyone? Than I was also left wondering if Fury would've kept me locked up in that room forever.

"Uh... I just wanna finish my work here and... uh-"

"Doctor?"

"'A warm light for all man kind.' Loki's jab at Fury about the cube," he began.

"I heard it," Steve replied.

"Well, I think that was meant for you." He looked pointedly at Tony, who in return handed him a packet full of blueberries. "Even if Barton didn't tell Loki about the tower, it was all over the news."

"The Stark Tower? You mean that big ugly..." Steve paused when Tony gave him a look. I tried not to laugh at Tony's expression. Leave it to Steve to hit Tony where it hurt - right at his ego. "Building in New York?"

"It's powered by an arc reactor, a self-sustaining energy source," Bruce told us. "That building will power itself for what, a year?

"It's just a prototype," he pointed out. "I'm kinda the name in clean energy right now. That's what he's trying to get at."

Huh, I thought I remembered other companies trying to do the same thing. I guess being forced into another world changed what's already happened in my life.

"So why didn't SHIELD bring him into the Tesseract project? What are they doing in the energy business in the first place?"

Well, SHIELD wants to design the ultimate weapons with the Tesseract. At least that was what I knew. I honestly never really read that many comics, so I still wasn't too sure.

"I should probably look into that once my decryption program finishes breaking into all of SHIELD's secure files."

That seemed to catch Steve's attention. This was why I'm amazed Fury even trusted Stark. Considering the fact that Jarvis could probably hack into SHIELD's files like they were nothing. Either Fury already knew this would happen or he was trying to bide his time.

"I'm sorry, did you just say-"

"Jarvis has been running an encryption program since I hit the bridge," Tony explained with a smug grin. "In a few hours I'll know every dirty secret SHIELD has ever tried to hide, unless of course you'd like to share some of their secrets?" He glanced at me, and I shrugged.

I'm not telling them anything. Instinct told me that telling the truth would lead to disaster. "I wouldn't tell you, even if I did know," I muttered with a shrug. Luckily that seemed to satisfy any worry Steve had felt earlier.

"And yet you're confused as to why they didn't want you around here," he said to Tony.

"An intelligence organization that fears intelligence?" he asked. "Historically, not awesome."

"I think Loki's trying to wind us up," pointed out Steve. Oh, that's not all he was trying to do. "This is a man who means to start a war. And if we don't stay focused, he'll succeed. We have our orders. We should follow them."

"Following's not really my style."

"And you're all about style, aren't you?" Wow, way to fail at trying to make a jab.

"Of all the people in this room, which one is, A, wearing a spangly outfit and B, not of any use?" Tony retorted.

"Steve, tell me this doesn't smell a little funky to you?" Bruce pinched the bridge of his nose as Steve's jaw clenched.

"Just find the cube." With that, he left the room looking more than just annoyed.

Ouch. That must've really struck a nerve. I glanced back at the staff being held by some kind of force field.

"Steve's not wrong about Loki," Bruce pointed out. "He does have a jump on us."

"What he's got, is an Acme dynamite kit that's gonna blow right up in his face," Tony retorted. "And I'm gonna be there when it does."

"Yeah, and I'll be reading all about it in the news."

"Uh-huh." Tony still looked unconvinced. "Or you'll be suiting up with the rest of us."

"You see, I don't get a suit of armor. I'm exposed." Once again I felt sorry for Bruce. Everything he went through was because he had felt pressured. He tried using what he thought was a super soldier serum, and it ended up slapping him right in the face. Literally. "It's like a nerve. It's a nightmare."

"You know, I've got a cluster of shrapnel in my chest that's trying every second to crawl it's way into my heart. This stops it. This little circle of light; it's part of me now. Not just armor. It's a terrible privilege."

"But you can control it."

"Because I learned how."

"It's different."

"Hey Bruce, don't you ever think you've at least got some kind of control over the other guy?" I pointed out, remembering bits and pieces of the_ Incredible Hulk_. "You shouldn't have to live with something like that controlling your life. You may not believe me, but I do know how low it got for you."

This time Bruce looked at me in surprise. "And if I supposedly live this 'normal life', what happens if the Hulk suddenly takes over and destroys a few cities?"

"I don't believe anyone could possibly be evil," I replied. "I believe in second chances, and that the Hulk is good, if you allow him to be. You shouldn't let fear rule your life."

"I think what she's trying to say is, you shouldn't have to punish yourself for something you didn't do. I read all those files on that lab accident. That much gamma exposure, should've killed you," Tony pointed out. For once, I agreed with him.

"So, you're saying the other guy saved my life?" Bruce asked. "That's nice. That's a nice sentiment. Saved me from what?"

"I guess we'll find out," Tony replied with a smirk.

"You might not like what you see," he pointed out.

I think I actually might like what I see. Knowing full well what was about to happen, I decided it was better to stick around and wait for the bitching that would follow. Soon Natasha would be here along with Fury, Thor and Steve to have some huge argument.

And there was no way I was going to miss out on this.

* * *

**AN: My fingers hurt from all this typing :) But it was worth it! Nice long chapter after such a long wait. Thanks everyone reviewing! And happy Easter!**


	8. Chapter 8

"**Is this the end? Or only the beginning? The second chance, You never thought you'd get The question is, Will you do something with it, Or spend your days, Lost in your regret This is the story of your life, You decide, How the rest is gonna read, This is your chance between the lines, To redefine what kind of legacy you leave, This is the story of your life, And it's a story worth telling**..." The Story Of Your Life, Matthew West

* * *

**Chapter Eight**

There were many things I've wanted to do with my life before I die. One of them was to meet my favorite actors. And now that I was sucked into a world where all of my favorite actors and actresses were together, I wasn't sure what to make of it. Although I will admit, two of my favorite movies were Transformers and Star Trek: 2009. Both of those movies were awesome.

Why was I thinking of my favorite movies? I have no idea.

I was bored. Having already seen the two geniuses at work, I found myself wandering through the halls. Despite my offer to help with the Tesseract, I wasn't even sure what to tell them. Loki had it hidden away somewhere. Even Clint wouldn't know where it was because he didn't need to know.

So why was I wandering around the halls again? And why did I keep contradicting myself? It was at this point the team would begin their little 'argument'. And I wasn't going to miss that. These people were so full of themselves that they couldn't get along with one another.

Wheeling around so that I was headed for the lab, I quickly made my way back down. Or was it up? I really couldn't remember. Either way I wanted to see what the big deal about this argument was. I knew that agent Coulson gave his life so that the team would finally fess up and work together. Hopefully he actually died for a good reason, because he was one of the few SHIELD agents I actually liked.

Thankfully it didn't take me long to get back. Tony and Bruce were still chatting away, while Director Fury and Thor came in just as I did. Noting that Thor was now with Fury, I kept a safe distance from them. Knowing me with my luck Thor's hammer would go right through my chest.

"What are you doing Mr. Stark?" Well at least he wasn't here to put me under lock down again.

"Just a little chat, no fuss," Tony replied.

"You're supposed to be locating the Tesseract."

"We are," Bruce explained while glancing at the monitor. "The model's locked and we're searching for the signature right now. When we get a hit we'll have the location within a half mile."

"Yeah. Two get your cube back. No muss, no fuss. What is phase two?" Tony asked as an alarm went off on the monitor.

Oh this was about to get interesting. From what I'd gathered SHIELD was designing prototype weapons similar to the ones used by Asgardians. If Stark knew the truth behind all of this he'd beat the crap out of Fury. And it was at that moment that Steve came in, carrying what looked like a destructive looking weapon.

"Phase two is SHIELD uses the cube to make weapons," he said coldly, than added to Tony, "Sorry, the computer wasn't working fast enough for me."

I knew it was better not to say anything. At this point I'm assuming if I did say a word Fury would throw me in prison.

"Rogers, we gathered everything related to the Tesseract," Fury explained warily. "This does not mean we're-"

"I'm sorry Nick, what were you saying?" Tony suddenly turned the monitor so that everyone could see what was on it. Blueprints of some kind of weapon could be made out. I've seen the movie enough times to know that this was bad. Weapons only led to mass destruction.

"I was wrong director, the world hasn't changed a bit," Steve retorted, voice colder than ever. At that moment Natasha entered the room, looking pointedly at Bruce as Fury was about to speak.

"Did you know about this?" Bruce pointed towards the screen, his question directed to the Black Widow.

"You wanna think about removing yourself from this environment, Doctor?" she countered. Thor just looked plain uncomfortable as he was left out. I couldn't blame him, but I dare not speak out.

"I was in Calcutta, I was pretty well removed," Bruce replied.

"Loki is manipulating you."

"And you've been doing what, exactly?"

"You didn't come here just because I bat my eyelashes at you."

"Yes, and I'm not leaving just because you get a little twitchy." He looked over at the monitor Stark had pulled out. "I'd like to know why SHIELD is using the Tesseract to build weapons of mass destruction."

Because someone higher above Fury wants to control the world. Not that I knew the full detail of that theory. I never really read into the comics, so I didn't entirely know how SHIELD operated. Fury suddenly pointed at Thor.

"Because of him," he said in an accusing tone.

"Me?" Thor looked at everyone in confusion when he was suddenly put on the spotlight. Everyone else looked just as confused, except for Natasha.

"Last year, Earth had a visitor from another world who had a grudge match that leveled a small town," Fury explained. "We learned that not only are we not alone in the universe, but we are hopelessly, hilariously outgunned."

I suddenly remembered that this line had always made my friends laugh. Now I wasn't sure why it had. Something like this was serious. I always had some sort of respect for Fury, but now that respect had gone up the ranks.

"My people want nothing but peace with your planet," Thor protested.

"But you're not the only people out there, are you?" Fury looked pointedly at me, and my eyes widened. Did he think I was some kind of alien? "And you're not the only threat out there. The world's filling up with people who can't be matched, that can't be controlled."

"Like you controlled the cube?" Steve demanded.

A few of them looked at me, and already I could feel myself shrinking back. I wish I could tell them what had happened. My files were wiped out and nothing about me was 'real'. To them _I_ was the fictional character who shouldn't exist.

"Your work with the Tesseract is what drew Loki to it, and his allies," Thor pointed out. "It is a signal to all the realms that Earth is ready for a higher form of war."

"A higher form?" Steve asked.

"You forced our hand," Fury snapped. "We had to come up with something."

"Because a nuclear deterrent is always the answer," I scoffed. At once I regretted saying that.

"Because that calms everything right down," Stark added, much to my surprise.

"Remind me again how you got your fortune, Stark."

It wasn't easy, let me tell you. Oh wait, it probably was.

"I'm sure if he was still making weapons, Stark would be neck deep in-" Steve started.

"Wait, wait," Tony cut him off, "How is this now about me?"

"I'm sorry, isn't everything?"

Ouch, that was a burn. I have to admit, I love seeing the faces Tony makes when Steve said that.

"I thought humans were more evolved than this," Thor remarked.

"Excuse me, did we come to your planet and blow your stuff up?" Fury's question seemed to cause a disruption, and everyone started arguing all at once. I just stayed quiet, hoping they wouldn't involve me somehow.

I'm not a big fan of arguments. My parents rarely fought when I was younger, but when they did I usually hid myself in my room with the door locked. Once things were settled down I would make sure that they hadn't hurt one another.

"You treat your champions with such mistrust," Thor said in an accusing tone.

"Are you guys really that naive?" asked Natasha, getting more involved this time. I almost forgot that she was in the room. "SHIELD monitors potential threats."

"Captain America's on the threat list?" Bruce looked surprised that Natasha would even admit that.

"We all are."

"Wait, you're on the threat list?" Tony asked. "Are you above or below angry bees?"

Failed attempt at making a burn.

"Stark, so help me if you make one more wisecrack-"

"Threat! Verbal threat! I feel threatened!"

"Show some respect!"

"Respect for what?"

God this was ridiculous. These people were supposed to save the world? All I could see right now were a bunch of school children ganging up on one another. And this is what Coulson died for? My stomach twisted as I thought of that.

I couldn't let him die for this. If there was anyone who could change the story, it was me. Isn't that what Matthew West's song was all about? We decide our own fate, not some movie writer who's gonna screw everything up (okay, he may not have said that bit, but it seemed fitting at the time).

The argument seemed to go on forever as Steve and Tony were at each others throats. I'm surprised those two haven't strangled one another yet. They were so different, personality wise. I could see why Steve was finding it so difficult to get along with Tony. This was one of those moments I wished I could just disappear on command. Or wake up from this crazy dream. Was this still a dream?

"You speak of control, yet you cause chaos." Thor was right about the chaos part. Fury had no control over this team, no matter how much he wished he did.

"That's his M.O. isn't it?" Bruce demanded, sounding more irritated than ever. I was surprised he hadn't Hulked out yet. "I mean, what are we, a team? No, we're a chemical mixture that makes chaos. We're a time bomb."

For some reason that sounded ironic. Maybe because everyone compared Bruce to a time bomb. One wrong move and he could Hulk out on anyone nearby.

"You need to step away," Fury said to him.

Is there a mute button anywhere?

"Why shouldn't the guy let off a little steam?" asked Tony, putting a hand on Steve's shoulder. The super soldier simply shrugged it off, angrier than ever.

"You know damn well why, back off!" he snapped.

"Oh, I'm starting to want you to make me," the playboy retorted.

"Yeah, big man in a suit of armor. Take that away and what are you?" Steve was getting more irritated by the second, if that was even possible.

"Playboy, billionaire philanthropist."

Steve was about to make another remark when I finally snapped.

"Would you all just shut the hell up already?" I shouted. Everyone looked at me in surprise, even Tony couldn't think of what to say. "You're all acting like a bunch of kids on the playground bitching at one another. Your egos are so big you can't work together long enough to be a team! So SHIELD's making weapons, does that even surprise you? We've got bigger things to worry about, like maybe stopping Loki from taking over the world."

Silence filled the room. Everyone was either too shocked by what I just said or too annoyed. I didn't care one way or another.

"Miss Karson, put down the scepter." It was than I noticed what I was holding. How it ended up in my hands was beyond me; the cloaking device should have kept it out of reach. That strange energy coursing through me the night Loki had attacked suddenly returned. But it happened so quickly that I wasn't even sure the scepter was the cause.

The monitor suddenly let off an alarm signaling that the Tesseract had been located. Or in this case, Clint was about to pull off the biggest attack on the Hellicarrier yet. This was about to get interesting. And very dangerous.

"You located the Tesseract?" asked Thor.

"I can get there fastest," Tony announced.

It seemed my little outburst was ignored as I put the scepter back in place. Whatever. I wasn't going to sit around and let Coulson die for nothing. I made my way towards the exit, knowing that the explosion would happen next and knock everyone to their feet, including Bruce and Black Widow.

"The Tesseract belongs on Asgard," Thor intervened. "No human is a match for it."

"You're not going alone," Steve said as he and Tony started leaving the room.

"You're gonna stop me?"

And the bitchfest begins again. Seriously, when were they going to learn?

"Put on the suit," Steve countered. "Let's find out."

Again I rolled my eyes. Why were they not paying attention to what was happening?

"Oh I'm not afraid of hitting an old man."

"Put on the suit."

"Oh my God," Bruce murmured. Before anyone could ask what was wrong, an explosion suddenly shook the room.

My hands were trembling as the others got up. Steve told Tony to put on the suit, who agreed without question. I wish I had that kind of strength. Right now I was struggling to stand up; my knees were wobbly from stumbling over after that explosion.

"Are you alright?" Thor looked at me in concern.

"I think I'll live," I replied.

Bruce and Widow had already fallen through the floor through the newly opened hole. Fury had left the room the moment the shockwave hit us, likely headed for the bridge to find out what happened. Down below I could hear Bruce turning into the Hulk, and I suddenly realized just how much danger I was in.

"I must leave," he told me. I winced at the sounds of metal being torn apart. Not a pleasant thing to hear after listening to the team argue for twenty minutes straight. "I suggest you find a place where you will not be harmed."

"I hear ya," I muttered. But I sure wasn't going to sit around and do nothing. I was about to take a huge risk by stopping Loki from killing Coulson.

* * *

**AN: Sorry for not updating in like, forever. Okay, it hasn't been forever XD But it feels like it has been. Anywho, I hoped everyone had a wonderful Easter! Got to spend some time with my family and went to the dawn service at church. Beautiful service, especially watching the sun rise :) Thanks everyone for reviewing, I really appreciate them!**


	9. Chapter 9

"**Every voice in my head shouted 'yes' and 'no', Every freight train of thought fought to stop and go, Keep the pace just in case all the magic dies, 'Cause this is driving me crazy, Big surprise, I'm a ghost keeping out of sight, Rub your eyes, you're a star in a summer night, This is love, this is war, it's insanity, Dementia, you're driving me crazy...**" Dementia, Owl City

* * *

**Chapter Nine**

I was running. A few more explosions rattled the hallways, and almost knocked me off my feet several times. I'm surprised I haven't suffered from a heart attack yet. At this rate I'd die in my forties. Okay, maybe I was exaggerating a bit on that. But sure felt like that could happen.

It felt like hours passed before I reached Loki's cell. My mind was churning with anxiety. This was the only chance I had to save agent Coulson. If anyone could do it, than I had to. I wasn't even sure how it became my responsibility.

"**Dementia, you're driving me crazy, This is driving me crazy, Dementia, dementia Every light in the night flickered in and out, Every bone in my back shivered up and down, Keep the pace just in case all the magic dies, 'Cause this is driving me crazy...**"

Why would music suddenly start blaring in my head now of all times? True Owl City was one of my favorite artists. But seriously, now was not the time. Though I have to admit, the song was fitting for what I was about to do.

I was just in time to see Thor running towards the cell where Loki had already started escaping. The demigod in question leaned forward as Thor charged after him, bellowing a 'No' in the process. Loki's appearance suddenly vanished as Thor was flung into the cell.

It was like watching the movie all over again. The real Loki was standing nearby, chuckling as he approached the machine that operated the cell.

"Are you ever _not_ going to fall for that?" he sneered with a shake of his head.

All I could do was crouch there in the corner, not sure what to do next. Loki was looking down at the control panel with a triumphant smirk. If he chose now to drop the prison cell now holding Thor, things could get ugly.

"What are you doing here, Karson?"

I flinched when I felt a hand touching my arm. I turned to see agent Coulson looking at me. He was holding on to the Destroyer gun, glancing between me and Loki every now and than.

"Stay close to me," he ordered as he started moving forward. I simply nodded in response, knowing full well he could kill me if I ran away now. My heart was racing a mile a minute as I followed him. It's a good thing he didn't suspect I was working for Loki. At least I hoped he didn't believe I was.

"The humans believe us to be immortal," Loki said. I'd like to disagree with that notion. Thor slammed Mjölnir against the glass, and with a jolt it moved ever so slightly. "Shall we test that theory?"

The SHIELD agent guarding the hallway was suddenly knocked out by Coulson. I hadn't even noticed him until now. Made me wonder if he had noticed me.

"Move away please." Charming as always, Phil. Loki stared at the gun in surprise before stepping back. "You like this? We started working on the prototype after you sent the Destroyer. Even I don't know what it does."

My body worked faster than my mind. Coulson got ready to fire the weapon.

"Do you want to find out?"

Before either of them had a chance to respond, I got behind Coulson, acting like a shield. Loki appeared behind me, knife in his hands as he thrust it forward.

"No!" Thor slammed a fist against the glass wall. Loki's eyes widened in surprise. I looked down in time to see that his knife had pierced through my stomach. A pool of blood now stained my hands, and for a moment I wasn't sure how to react.

Loki suddenly pulled out his knife, face full of contempt.

He grabbed me by the collar of my sweater and glared at me. "You think you can save them all?" he snarled. "Play the hero and follow my brother!"c Coulson struggled to keep up, but Loki was faster. He swung his other arm and knocked the other agent out.

His grip tightened around my neck as I struggled to free myself, the pain slowly beginning to overwhelm me.

"Do you still believe in one God?" he demanded.

All I could think about was how stupid I could've been. I should've just let the events that followed take place. But I didn't have much of a chance to think about it. Loki was already preparing to throw me into the cell with Thor.

"Y-yes!" I struggled to shout, choking for air.

The smirk Loki had earlier faded to an angry scowl. No matter what he said, he couldn't shake my belief. It was the only thing I could hold on to in this crazy world.

"Such a pity. I was going to spare your life, pathetic mortal."

I didn't have a chance to respond. Loki pressed one of the buttons on the panel. My teeth clenched together as he threw me into the cell, body colliding with the wall. I struggled to stand up as Loki went for the bigger button that would send us plummeting to the Earth.

Time seemed to move slowly as the hatch was suddenly released. A rush of wind surged past us, and my stomach started doing somersaults as the cell began to fall.

All the while I began to realize that this was far from a dream. Somehow I had been transported to another world, and now I was going to die because of it.

. . .

"Any idea where Thor and Karson may be?" Director Fury stood at what was left of the bridge. It would take months to repair the ship. And that was only part of the damage caused by Loki.

"No signs of their whereabouts," agent Hill replied. "We've lost track of Banner as well, but that's not so surprising."

"How long before we get the ship up and running?" Fury pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration.

The girl who believed this was all a dream had given her life to save Coulson. Fury wasn't sure if she was stupid or if she had known what she was doing. All he knew was she had pushed the team into cooperating.

"These were in Phil Coulson's jacket." He tossed the Captain America cards now covered in blood onto the table in front of Steve. "Guess he never did get you to sign them. We're dead in the air up here. Our communications, the location of the cube... Banner, Thor. I got nothing for you. I lost my one good eye. Maybe I had that coming." Fury paused as he thought over what to say next. "Yes, we were going to build an arsenal with the Tesseract. I never had all my chips on that number though, because I was playing something even riskier. There was an idea, Stark knows this, Avengers Initiative. The idea was to bring together a group of remarkable people, see if they could become something more. See if they could work together when we needed them to, fight the battles we couldn't. Emma Karson died still believing in heroes."

. . .

Every part of my body was screaming in protest. That moment we started falling I knew something was wrong. Yeah, Loki stabbed me in the chest and somehow I was still alive. But the bleeding had not stopped. It felt like I was on a carnival ride, one that never seemed to end.

Thor was holding on to me for dear life, and I was grateful for that. I was sure that if I went flying into the walls again I'd lose consciousness. I'm surprised I haven't yet, considering the amount of blood loss I've suffered. Than again maybe losing consciousness wasn't such a bad thing. Anything would be better than the intense pain that burned within me.

Suddenly Thor twisted around so that his body slammed into the glass. A small crack in the glass formed, and he made the same motion. My teeth ground together as the prison was ready to slam into the ground. Just at the last second Thor managed to break the glass, forming a gaping hole.

I think it was at this point I almost passed out due to blood loss and exhaustion. Thor held onto me as we reached the ground, narrowly avoiding the prison that was holding us. The world was still spinning while he helped me stand, eyes dark with concern.

"Are you alright?" he asked. Clutching my stomach, I noticed that the bleeding had finally stopped. My hands were dark red from covering the wound.

"I'll be fine," I said through gritted teeth.

He held on to me as I struggled to stay standing. Okay, maybe I wasn't fine. I might've broken a bone or two in the process of falling. What bothered me more than anything was that I had lived through that all. Any normal human would've died already, wouldn't they?

"Your wounds must be attended to," Thor suddenly told me.

I thought back to what had happened as he said that. A small flicker of hope formed within me. I saved Coulson's life. It felt good to actually do something helpful for a change. Even if it had been a crazy, stupid move.

"It doesn't matter, there's more important things to worry about," I replied. I couldn't be the reason behind Thor being late for the battle. We were probably already late as it was.

It was at that point the pain started to fade. My eyes widened in disbelief when I noticed that. Glancing up at Thor uncomfortably I noticed that my broken arm and leg had healed as well in a matter of minutes. This was something I'd never experienced. None of my older wounds had ever healed like this.

Gingerly I lifted my arm and tried stepping on my leg. To my relief and surprise, my they were both completely healed.

"Your wounds have healed themselves." Thor was staring at me, just as surprised as I was.

For the first time since I'd woken up in this world, I suddenly understood what that blue haze was when I opened my eyes. It wasn't me who healed the wounds. At least I don't think I could have done that alone. Somehow the Tesseract had done this.

"Yeah... I guess so," I murmured halfheartedly.

Confusion swept through me as I straightened up a little. The puncture wound from his knife was gone as well. Maybe this was God's way of thanking me for saving agent Coulson. If so than I couldn't thank Him enough.

"This ability... you have never had it before?" Thor asked.

"Don't think so," I replied with a shake of my head. "We should probably go," I suddenly added after thinking of the battle.

"And where shall we go?"

"New York. That's where Loki's setting up the portal, at Stark Tower," I explained.

It was strange, being here with Thor. Knowing that this wasn't a dream. Now I understood what was going on. Somehow I had been transported to this world. Whether it was through Loki or the Tesseract itself, I would never know.

"I must fetch Mjölnir before we leave," he said. "Than we hasten to battle!"

I didn't bother saying anything. I just sat on the field of flowers, thinking of what had happened. More like I was trying to figure out how I would explain this all to my parents. If I was even still their daughter. With the Tesseract bringing me to this world I wasn't even sure of that. It could've wiped out their memories as well.

It didn't take long for him to return. A solemn look took over that smile I'd seen moments ago. I had a feeling he was thinking of Loki, and everything his brother had done.

"I am sorry for what my brother has done to you," he apologized. "I never realized that Loki could be so... evil."

Thinking back on it, I knew exactly what to say next, "I don't believe anyone is truly evil." Thor looked at me in disbelief, and I quickly explained, "There has to be an ounce of goodness in everyone, right? Even if it's the size of a penny, or smaller."

His smile suddenly returned, and I couldn't help but grin back.

"You are not like the other mortals," he told me. "I have never met someone who is full of so much hope."

Now that took me by surprise. True I wasn't afraid to voice my thoughts. And maybe I did do stupid things like this more often than I could count. But being praised by a demigod? That was unexpected. And it made me more embarrassed than I imagined.

"Why don't we head to New York and get Loki back?" I suggested with a sheepish grin.

"Yes, there is a battle that must be fought!" Thor suddenly lifted his hammer, and I flinched as lightning struck it from nowhere. This was going to take some getting used to.

* * *

**AN: Early update! I couldn't resist, and I had this typed up because my fingers were working overtime. So uh, yeah. Not sure what else to say other than a huge thank you to the readers and reviewers! You guys are awesome :D Also, I am thinking of writing a sequel to this. It won't necessarily follow the other movies, but I'm not entirely sure... we might find out more about Emma's past and how it effects the Avengers in the future ;)**


	10. Chapter 10

"**We are the travelers, we look to the ever after, We are the strangers, we're practically endangered, We know these roads here, they never seem to bode well, This our predicament and we ain't even sick of it We make our moves in mysterious ways, We'd rather burn up, than stick to the shade, Not of this world so we live on the run, We keep our eyes set on what is to come, we are unstoppable...**" Unstoppable, TobyMac (Featuring Blanca)

* * *

**Chapter Ten**

The pounding in my head refused to go away as I held on to Thor for dear life. Flying was like nothing I'd ever experienced. Falling to my death was something I never wanted to experience again. But this was different. It was exhilarating and terrifying at the same time. All the while Thor seemed pleased that I was able to hold on, and we reached Manhattan in a matter of minutes.

I wonder if that hammer had a GPS on it.

We landed on the tower, and it didn't take long to spot Loki. Lord of the Flies was busy looking down at the streets, packed with people as usual. For a moment I thought of warning everyone of what was to come. But that would only cause them to panic, or they would just throw me in prison like Fury had.

So I sat back and watched as Thor faced off with Loki.

"Loki, turn off the Tesseract or I will destroy it!" he commanded.

Wasn't the Tesseract similar to the Allspark from transformers? Didn't that mean it couldn't be destroyed?

"You can't, there is no stopping it," Loki replied with a triumphant look. His look faded when he noticed me standing nearby, fists in my pockets as I glared back. "And you... I thought you would be dead by now. Yet here you are, standing as though nothing has happened."

"No thanks to you," I scoffed. Anger churned within me as I thought back to what he had done. Than I had this childish urge to say something that probably could get me killed, "God may have played a big part in my survival."

Loki's face twisted in a scowl. Hit him where it hurts. And he did look more pissed off than usual, if that was possible. "You should be grateful it is not you I intend to kill," he snapped. Scepter raised like a spear, I knew this wasn't going to end well.

I backed away into the building as Loki started walking towards me. Why Thor wasn't stopping him was beyond me. Maybe he had some other business to attend to. But right now I needed to focus on this guy and not get killed.

"Hey, Jarvis?" I called out, hoping that Stark's A.I. would somehow respond to my voice. "Are you programmed just for Tony or will you listen to me?" By now I was at the bar, bumping into the island in the process.

"Good afternoon ma'am, how can I be of assistance?" I breathed out a sigh of relief when the familiar British accent called back.

"Don't you have some kind of weapon I can use?" I asked as Loki started getting closer. I'm surprised he hasn't fired his scepter yet. Than again he knew I could block the attacks with ease. A close-range attack was probably what he was hoping for.

I looked down at the knives that were placed behind the counter. Never again was I going to use a knife. After what had happened, I could already feel my stomach twisting at the gruesome thought.

"You should know that Mr. Stark does not make weapons anymore," Jarvis replied.

"Don't you have anything useful? You have a demigod in the building and one standing on your balcony, I don't think Stark wants any uninvited guests," I retorted. Just as I said that Thor dropped down and grabbed his brother by the neck, holding him up and throwing him out of the room.

"You know, you sound pretty good for someone who's supposed to be dead." I looked up in surprise to see Tony looking at me. He tossed me what looked like an earpiece, and I wasted no time in putting it on.

"You might wanna sit this one out kid," came Hawkeye's voice over the earpiece. Well it was nice to hear his voice again. "From what Coulson told us you'll need medical attention right away." I was even more relieved to hear that Coulson was alive and well.

"Nice to see you're back birdie," I replied. "Nat hit you on the head?" I could hear the laughter in the background, and even Tony grinned at that. "I also might have... discovered that I can heal myself, and possibly others as well," I added warily.

"So you can heal yourself now? Like touching people's wounds will actually heal them?" Tony sounded impressed, and I struggled not to glare at him. I think I've been glaring too much lately. "You definitely need to stay alive. Powers like that could be useful."

Like I was going to let you use me in any way.

"Stop treating her like dirt Stark," Steve shot back. "Are you okay?"

"As a matter of fact, I am, thank you for asking," I replied, thankful someone actually seemed to care.

"There should be an repulor you could use here somewhere," Tony said as he began shuffling around. I was surprised he would even offer me a weapon, considering he thought I was the crazy kid.

"Stark, that's not such a good idea-" Tony cut Clint off.

"The girl needs some kind of protection in case the aliens attack her," he retorted. "Plus if it blows up it won't be me who used it," he added to me.

I rolled my eyes at the comment. You are such an ass. This was why I hated people who thought so highly of themselves. He tossed me the weapon and I caught with ease, strapping it to my wrist. While I was doing that Tony joined in the fray as more Chitauri started flying through the portal.

These aliens weren't like anything I'd ever seen. They had thick armor that made it difficult to penetrate them with a simple blade or gun. I'm sure they had their weak points but I wasn't going to get close enough to find out. The weapons they wielded made me grateful Tony had given me that prototype repulser.

That was when the big Leviathan started emerging from the portal. My heart was beating a mile a minute as I saw it head for the city, towards I suspect the Avengers. More Chitauri than I could count latched onto nearby buildings and started attacking civilians. All the while the people in the city were running around like headless chickens. It was kind of funny to watch, yet I could imagine how terrified they were. They didn't know what was going on.

"Look at this!" Thor's shout made me look over to where they were standing. They were still at the top of the upper level balcony, Thor gripping Loki by the neck to keep him from escaping, though I'm sure Loki could easily slip away from his grasp. "Look around you! You think this madness will end in your rule?"

"It's too late!" Loki looked like he just made the biggest mistake of his life. I could see right through the lie. He wasn't called the God of Mischief for nothing. "It's too late to stop it."

"No, we can stop this together." I winced at the hope in Thor's voice. Clearly he believed there was still an ounce of hope in saving his brother. While I believed that no one was truly evil, I believed Loki was too far gone to be saved. It was likely he owed some kind of debt to the Chitauri's leader.

Meanwhile I was still trying to figure out how to fire the blasted repulser Tony had given me. I swear there was some kind of magic trick to this. How could he find this glove so comfortable? The sleeve scratched my wrist any time I tried wriggling it around.

Quick as lightning Loki suddenly stabbed Thor in the ribs with a minnie dagger. His brother released his grip and glared, all hope vanishing.

"Sentiment," Loki sneered. He looked at me, eyes widening slightly when I had the repulser aimed in his direction. I flinched as the weapon suddenly fired, the shockwave knocking me off my feet. Loki was thrown off the balcony, into one of the Chitauri's flying ships.

Wow, did I just do that? I must have, and that moment of triumph was short-lived. More Chitauri were pouring through the portal as Tony led the Leviathan towards the awaiting Avengers. I'm guessing that the team had already made their way towards the streets of Manhattan.

"Did you seriously just blast Loki off the balcony?" Wow that was a mouthful, but Tony about summed it up.

"Can you do that again? I need a recording of that!" I was surprised by how impressed Clint sounded. And again my inner fangirl was getting the better of me as a huge smile crept along my face. I have a feeling it was difficult to impress the master marksmen.

"Can I keep this Tony?" I eyed the repulser weapon curiously once I figured out how to fire it.

"No," came the blunt response. "Just stay in the tower and you should survive."

"Stark..." Obviously Steve didn't like the idea of leaving a dangerous weapon with me. But I could handle it. I think.

I was actually surprised Steve knew how to use an earpiece. I suppose being part of the army had given him some kind of advantage. All the while Natasha kept quiet, but I could hear her whispering a few things to Clint. I'm guessing he was sitting next to her in the plane.

And there was no way in hell I was gonna sit here and do nothing while they all rushed on to the fight. I may have no fighting skills, but with this weapon I might be of some use. Obviously I wasn't going to jump off the building, but there might be some way of getting down as quickly as possible.

Yeah, I was gonna have to use the stairs. This was going to be fun.

* * *

**AN: I couldn't resist updating twice. Absolutely loved this chapter and since it was too short, I figured I'd add more. So um, yeah. Big thanks to everyone for reviewing, they really mean a lot!**


	11. Chapter 11

"**We will not lose heart, We will not lose hope, When all we see is fading, We trust in what we know, We will never give up Pressed on every side, Praying for escape, We can see the answer, That You're the only way, We will never give up We will fix our eyes on the One who will last forever, We will hold on tight to, the only real treasure, We will not lose heart, We will not lose hope, We will give our lives to the One who will last forever...**" We Will Not Give Up, Sanctus Real

* * *

**Chapter Eleven**

More Leviathans were coming through the portal as I reached the streets. People were running in different directions trying to get away. They were probably terrified and trying to figure out why someone would want to attack their beloved city. Something large and green suddenly slammed into one of the Leviathans, knocking it to the ground in the process. I knew immediately that the green creature was the Hulk, so I kept my distance from him.

This was the part where I should have stayed in the building. Tony was right about me staying out of trouble. I should've listened to him. But I couldn't sit still and I wanted to play some kind of part in this battle. Even if it meant risking my life. Sure I was scared as shit, but that wasn't going to stop me.

So I kept running. Every now and than I shot a repulser blast at a Chitauri or two. Helped a few people get out of the falling debris. In the process I received numerous cuts and bruises on my arms and legs. A few people had stopped to ask why I was heading for the battle rather than running away.

Maybe I was crazy. Maybe that was why I chose to take the risk and join the fight. Knowing that this wasn't some crazy dream seemed to open up my eyes. I could do so much more than this if I put my mind to it.

"Kid, do you have a death wish?" I flinched when I heard Tony's voice shouting through the earpiece. Looking up I noticed the Iron Man suit hovering above me. One of the Chitauri had noticed me as well. Quickly I fired the repulser weapon at the alien, knocking it off it's feet.

"Yeah, I think I do," I muttered with the slightest of smirks. Call me insane, but this was actually kind of fun. Not the killing part - I wasn't too fond of that - but this was a good way to take out all that pent up frustration I had earlier.

"Get close to the others," Tony ordered as he flew past me, shooting at numerous Chitauri. I just rolled my eyes and decided it was better to do as I was told. At this point I was in enough trouble as it was. Knowing Fury he'd lock me up for life if I didn't die out here.

"You okay kid?" Captain America was fighting alongside Black Widow, the two fighting as though they had done this their whole lives. Well, I suppose this was something they were trained for. As for me I was still a nervous wreck. But I wasn't going to let that stop me from joining in the fight.

"Never better," I replied after firing the repulser weapon at another Chitauri. "How many civilians need rescuing?" Another approached us, but this time Widow fired one of their own weapons against them. Why hadn't I thought of taking that? Would make for a fun souvenir.

"A group of people are trapped in a bank nearby," Capsicle replied. "I'm on my way to free them. You stay with Natasha and don't do anything stupid." I rolled my eyes once more. Why did they not have any faith in me following orders?

Oh wait, I couldn't follow orders. It was probably a good thing my parents didn't know what situation I was in. They'd be freaking out wondering how I could do something so stupid. Again I had to wonder if my parents would even remember me. Nobody else seemed to.

"Captain none of this fighting is going to mean a damned thing if we don't get that portal closed," Natasha told him as she fired another group of Chitauri approaching us.

She already received several wounds from the fight, and I noticed for the first time that even Rogers looked pretty battered as well. They couldn't keep fighting forever. Even if they were considered Earth's Mightiest Heroes.

"You're gonna need a ride to get there," Steve warned her.

Natasha glanced up at the ships the Chitauri were flying. Already I knew what she was about to do. And I really wished I could do that. Have skills that could save my life in a battle like this. But I was pretty useless without this repulser weapon.

"I've gotta a ride, if you can give me a lift," she replied while heading for the ledge of the bridge. Steve just stared at her in surprise, and he looked slightly impressed.

"Are you sure about this?" Nervously he raised his shield as she prepared to run.

"Yeah, it'll be fun." Now it was my turn to look impressed. Natasha ran at full speed and did a back flip on Cap's shield as one of the Chitauri's ships flew past us. She looked so elegant landing on the back of the ship, knocking one of the Chitauri riders off and stabbing the pilot in the back to control it.

"Miss Karson, you should really get out of here while you can," Steve warned me as he blocked the fire of another weapon, shielding me in the process.

Acting on instinct, I fired the repulser ray at one of the Chitauri and tried kicking another that got a little too close for comfort in the thigh. Believe me when I say they had really thick skin. It was like hitting a block of cement. The pain that followed made me reel back so that Steve was forced to catch me.

"I think I can take care of myself," I snapped as my leg began to heal almost instantly. I wished I knew where that power had come from. And exactly how it worked. The cuts and bruises from earlier had not healed yet. My guess is the power only works when it's a severe injury.

"The hell you can," Steve grumbled. "Get to the tower now, for your sake and for ours." The order was final, and I knew there was no point in arguing with him.

So I decided it was best to run now while I could. The Chitauri were distracted at the moment. As I ran I noticed that someone was huddled in a corner nearby, surrounded by fallen debris. It looked like a young boy, probably around the age of six or seven. His leg looked like it had been cut by something sharp, and it was bleeding pretty badly. And of course a small group of Chitauri had noticed him as well.

Without thinking of if I fired at the Chitauri. The boy let out a wail of surprise as one of them fell to the ground, a hole now formed in their body. The other three Chitauri finally took notice of me and started running with their weapons aimed in my direction.

Of all the stupid things I could've done, my feet stayed glued to the ground. I refused to back down as the Chitauri charged after me. Everything happened so fast that I didn't even have time to blink. One of the Chitauri was thrown to the ground by the repulser ray. Another was sent flying as I raised my other hand at it, landing in the building nearby. The final Chitauri had stopped dead in their tracks, than let out a snarl of disgust as it began charging once more.

Taking a deep breath, I concentrated on the energy that was building inside me. Another fire was shot at the Chitauri, this one stronger than the last. And it didn't come from the repulser ray Stark had given me. The energy was already draining and exhaustion quickly kicked in.

I looked over at the boy. He was still huddled up with his head over his legs in a fetal position. The wound on his leg looked deep. Dried up tears marked the edge of his eyes as I got closer. All the while he was screaming at me to stay away.

"It's okay, I'm here to help you," I tried soothing him. He was panicking as I knelt down.

"No, stay away! You're a monster!" The words made me stop short.

A monster? Was that what I am now? I shook my head, ignoring him as he weakly punched my arm. Touching his wounded leg with my hands, I took another deep breath and concentrated. If I could heal my own wounds than I should be able to heal others wounds.

Minutes dragged on. And finally the wound had begun to heal. The boy had stopped struggling when he realized what was happening. It seemed he finally understood that I wasn't a threat. There wasn't even a scar left behind as the wound fully healed.

And the exhaustion I felt moments ago suddenly returned. It was like having someone drain all my blood away at once. So using this healing power on someone else had a different effect on me. While it seemed to give me strength if I used it on myself, it drained away any energy I had left if I used it on someone else. That was good to know.

"How'd you do that?" the kid asked, awestruck. I made an attempt to block his view from the fighting around us. By now the explosions and gunfire seemed to die down. I wondered if Natasha closed the portal yet, or if that missal sent by SHIELD was approaching.

"What's your name kid?" I asked, ignoring his question all together. I wasn't sure how to answer that question, not without giving everything away.

"Michael Grayson," he replied. Well at least he sounded better. "Do you know where my mommy is?" His question caught me off guard. Again I didn't know how to answer that question. His mother might have been killed in the battle.

"Okay Michael, just follow me and you'll be fine," I reassured him after thinking over what to say. "We're going to find your... mommy." Mentally I scoffed at the word. It was something a six year old would've said.

I took Michael by the hand and held on carefully. By now it looked like the streets were cleared of Chitauri. I'm guessing that the battle had finally ended.

"Miss Karson, what's going on?" I heard Cap's voice over the earpiece, almost forgetting that I had it on.

"Please, just call me Emma, Capsicle," I muttered crossly. I hated being called Miss Karson. It sounded way too formal for me. "I uh... found a lost civilian. I'm going to try and find his parents," I quickly explained.

"Emma you know that could take weeks." That was Clint's voice. Nice to hear him again, and he actually sounded concerned.

"Michael, do you know where your mommy might have been the last time you saw her?" I looked down at Michael, who seemed more curious than anything else now.

"She went to the bank and told me not to wander off," he replied and suddenly looked downcast.

"That bank was overrun with Chitauri," Steve told me. "Most of the people have been cleared out of it already."

"Well I'm not leaving the kid on the streets," I retorted. I knew what it was like to feel alone. I didn't want Michael to suffer the same way I had a few years ago.

"Alright kid, take him to the police and they can find his parents for him. We need to wrap this up," Tony snapped.

I resisted the urge to shout something back. Tony did have a good point. Michael was better off going to the police. At least they could find out where his mother was and take care of the issue for me. This was one of those moments I wished I had followed orders.

"Are you alright?" Michael asked as we headed towards what was left of the police station.

I think I've gotten sick of hearing that question.

"I'll be fine," I murmured.

This was going to be a long day.

* * *

**AN: So there's one more chapter left before this is finished. I wanted to thank everyone for reviewing and favoriting. And yes, there will be a sequel to this. I have the plotline figured out and everything. What follows may lead into all of the future movies to come. I'm just not entirely sure about that.**


	12. Chapter 12

"**At the end of myself, I'm empty and dry, I have nothing to give, But surrender inside, Let down your nets, This is not the end, From now on, you'll be, Fishers of men, Follow Me, At the end of myself, Judgment calls out my name, I've been looking for love, But I'm swallowed by shame, Throw away all your stones, Find forgiveness in Me, Let Me be your new passion, My daughter, you're free...**" Follow Me, Casting Crowns

**To Katniss: Emma's only 17, which means she's only just a minor. Normally she'd need her parents permission to join SHIELD but, since she supposedly doesn't even exist, that isn't possible.**

* * *

**Chapter Twelve**

I was right when I said this would be a long day. After dropping off Michael at the police station and having to explain what had happened and why we were there, I was left to look for the Avengers. I was surprised the police station hadn't been that badly damaged. A few parts of the building had been destroyed, but that could easily be repaired. My apartment on the other hand wasn't so lucky. As I passed by I noticed that half of the apartment complex had been destroyed, mine included.

What was left of my old life was gone. I really did have nothing left, aside from the clothes I wore and the phone in my pocket. I don't think my life is ever going to be normal again. Once I was sucked into this world my life had changed for the worse.

Held back a sigh of frustration as I made my way down the now empty streets. Dead Chitauri littered the ground along with fallen debris. A few people were still scattering here and there to get away. But for the most part the thrill of the battle had died down. And the world was eerily quiet now that it was over.

I thought back to what my life had been like prior to all of this.

For the most part my life had been relatively normal. I had a few good friends once I moved away. My parents still cared for me sure, but for the most part they had kept to themselves and oh so wonderful sister. Back when I was younger I was the target of many bullies in school for my belief in God. At night I would often find myself reading the Bible or just praying for a change.

And suddenly I realized that this was God's answer to my prayers. After all I wouldn't even be alive it wasn't for Him. I could thank Him enough for what He has done for me. Maybe this new life wouldn't be so bad after all.

. . .

"You seem pretty quiet." Tony was looking at me as we sat at the table. It was later that same night, and we were all sitting around a table eating shawarma. Why Tony had chosen shawarma was beyond me, but I wasn't complaining.

Clint was reading a book while seated next to Natasha. An awkward silence fell upon us as we relished our victory.

"After what happened I can't really say I blame her," Steve said after taking a bite of his sandwich.

"I'm just thinking," I replied. A few more minutes of silence and I think I might go nuts.

Loki had been taken into SHIELD's highest security for now. After tonight Thor was going to return to Asgard with Loki was his prisoner. It was decided that the Tesseract was better off in Asgard where they could keep it locked away. I was surprised Fury agreed so willingly. Than again you don't argue with someone who could easily split your head open with a hammer.

"About your new found powers?" Why was Tony drilling me with questions I couldn't answer?

I'd pretty much been forced to tell them about what had happened. Steve had been livid when I told him I never got to the tower. But he understood why I didn't obey orders. I risked my life to save that little boy. And I had no regrets doing so.

"About where I'm going to live," I sighed as I leaned against the back of my seat.

"Your apartment was destroyed in the battle, right?" Clint asked the question this time, looking up from his book. I just nodded in response. Yep, that about summed things up.

"I'm sure SHIELD can do something about that," Tony muttered under his breath.

I knew that he didn't trust SHIELD, and understandably so. It was an organization made up of spies. But at the same time I knew I could trust SHIELD. Even if Fury had wanted to keep me locked up for what I had said.

Actually it was what Michael had said that bothered me. He had called me a monster when I killed those Chitauri. Was that really what I had become? Again I didn't like the idea of killing anything. But the Chitauri were trying to kill him. So I did what came naturally.

"You'd make a good soldier, if you followed orders," Steve pointed out.

My nose wrinkled almost at once. There was no way in hell I'd join the army. I couldn't see myself doing such a thing. Sure I would get to travel around the world, but odds were I'd be the one getting killed the moment I got off the plane.

That was when Natasha decided to join in our lovely conversation.

"You could always join SHIELD," she suggested.

I stared at her, slightly surprised and humbled that she would even suggest that. Even Clint looked surprised, but behind that look was the slightest hint of amusement.

At a loss for words, I just looked down at my now empty plate. The shawarma was good, but not that good. Now I was trying to distract myself. What Natasha had said caught me completely off guard. I never thought of joining SHIELD. Heck, I wasn't even skilled enough to be considered a decent gymnast.

Once again an awkward silence filled the room. I'm surprised the waiters hadn't started freaking out the moment Tony entered the building. But maybe they'd gotten used to things like this occurring all the time. Or they'd lose their jobs if they did. Either way I didn't know, or care too much.

All I could think of was what I would do once this was over. Life would go back to normal if I refused Natasha's offer. But I would need to move back with my parents. And I was not looking forward to that. Besides, they probably didn't even know who I was now that my files had been wiped from the system and everyone forgot about me.

It was at that point I realized something. I wasn't going back to my old life, because apparently it never existed. This was my new life, and it was time to take a fresh start in it. I think it was time to take on Natasha's offer, even if she probably hadn't meant it so seriously.

. . .

"_Do you still believe in one God?"_

_"I do."_

_"Even after everything that has happened... such a pity."_

_"You may never understand why I do, but God has helped me through more difficult times than you could ever count."_

_"And yet here you are, surrounded by cameras, your every move being monitored by SHIELD. No one knows who you really are. No one bothered to remember you, and your name does not even exist."_

_"They'll remember me. Not as the friend I once was. But as a SHIELD agent. That's my new life. And I don't think I would ever change that._"

. . .

Warm sunshine lit our backs as we stood around Central Park. Spectators were standing around us as Thor pushed Loki into the center of the circular pattern below our feet. His hands were bound together by cuffs, and his mouth was strapped by cloth. He looked, for all the world, like he had lost everything.

For the first time since I've seen the movie, I actually felt sorry for Loki. He was mistreated as a child because of his parentage. Even though he was raised and adopted by Odin and Frigga, he was still treated poorly. Everyone favored Thor over him. Maybe that was why he had grown up the way he had. Learning that he was a Frost Giant probably didn't help.

"My friends," Thor began as we all surrounded him. "I wanted to thank you for assisting in the capture of my brother. I will never forget the grand battle we have fought together, and I hope our paths will cross once more. Midgard will always have my protection, and Loki will face his punishment on Asgard."

Loki didn't even struggle to free himself. The chains binding him were strong enough to block out his magic, apparently. He kept glaring at me, acting as if this was all my fault. I just avoided his piercing gaze as everyone said their farewells. Finally Thor turned to me.

"Lady Karson, I understand that this change must have been difficult for you," he told me with the slightest of bows. Now I really felt humbled. Tony just scoffed at the mention of 'Lady Karson'. "You are a brave warrior, one who was willing to risk her life for someone she did not know."

Oh wow, that was unexpected. I tried not to blush, but I already felt heat on my cheeks. The boy had found his mother, finally. According to Fury the mother was still trying to find out who had saved him. I suppose this was one of those times I should just lay low for a while. I wasn't sure if she'd be angry or happy that I had saved him with my powers.

"You take care of yourself," I replied.

"My friends, it is time we take our leave," Thor suddenly announced.

In response Clint grabbed the suitcase that was holding the Tesseract. Thor pulled it out, revealing a golden case that held the Tesseract in some sort of seal. Hopefully this time it would not fall in the wrong hands.

Thor sent a final smile at the team before activating the Tesseract. A stream of light surrounded the two demigods. In a matter of seconds they had disappeared.

The crowd of spectators watched in awe at the scene. From the distance they were at I'm surprised they could see anything. SHIELD had made sure they didn't get too close in case Loki tried attacking again.

"Be seeing you crazy kid," Tony said as he walked over to the car. Steve had already said his goodbye to Bruce as the gamma scientist followed Tony.

"Yeah, be seeing you, smartass," I retorted. Tony just smirked at me before opening the door.

"We'll keep in touch, right?" Steve glanced down at me as I stood between Natasha and Clint. The two of them had remained silent throughout the goodbyes.

"Of course," I replied with the slightest grins. Goodbyes were always the hardest things to cope with. Mostly because you don't know when you'll see your friends again. Or if you'll ever see them again. "You take care of yourself, Rogers."

Steve smiled and waved goodbye as he headed for his motorcycle. It was like a vintage motorcycle you see at antique shops. And that left me standing with Natasha and Clint. This was going to be fun.

. . .

"_Where are the Avengers?"_

_"I'm not currently tracking their whereabouts. I'd say they've earned a leave of absence."_

_"And the Tesseract?"_

_"The Tesseract is where it belongs, out of our reach."_

_"That's not your call."_

_"I didn't make it. I just didn't argue with the God that did."_

_"So you let him take it, and the war criminal Loki, who should be answering for his crime."_

_"Oh I think he will be."_

_"I don't think you understand what you've started, letting the Avengers loose in this world. They're dangerous."_

_"They surely are. And the whole world knows it. Every world knows it."_

_"Was that the point to all of this? A statement?"_

_"A promise._"

. . .

"Emma McKain Karson... there are no records of you ever existing. Why exactly do you want to join SHIELD?"

I never liked my full name. The way Director Fury used it made it sound like I was getting punished. And I probably was. But there was a point to all of this questions and answers. Right in front of me were the files that I had filled out, with the help of Natasha and Clint.

"Sir, I told you before that I believed this was just a dream... my eyes opened up, and now I know that it isn't. My old life never existed. I have nowhere else to go. I thought that maybe SHIELD could teach me the ways of this world," I explained as formally as I could.

For most of the night prior to this I'd been practicing the interview with Natasha. She was strict and kept herself composed throughout the conversation. Unlike her Director Fury seemed genuinely surprised I'd even considered joining SHIELD. It was a prompt on Natasha's part, and even Clint had agreed with nowhere else to go this was the best option.

"You expect me to accept a seventeen year old to join SHIELD, just like that?" Director Fury rested his chin on his hands, leaning forward on his seat.

"No sir, I don't." With all honesty I expected him to toss me into prison for what I said and did.

"You risked your life to save Agent Coulson's life, and the life of a random civilian, without even thinking of the consequences. Yet you lack control and discipline. You don't take orders too kindly." All of which I found surprisingly true.

"Director Fury, I understand if you don't want me to join," I suddenly murmured.

"I never said I didn't want you to join," he pointed out. I looked at him in surprise. "Despite the circumstances, and Agent Hill's reports on your behavior earlier, I've been given word from Romanoff and Barton that they'd like to become your mentors."

My jaw almost dropped to the floor. Fury leaned against the back of his seat as he waited for my reaction. Stunned into silence again. All because my favorite Avengers wanted to take me under their wings, or so to speak.

"A-Are you sure?" I stammered, still trying to get over the initial surprise.

"The reports they filed were very accurate. And from what I've seen, you're more than capable of handling their... training styles," he replied.

It's a good thing I was sitting down. Otherwise I might just fall over in shock. I never expected to be trained by SHIELD's top assassins. Let alone my favorite Avengers. This was probably the biggest thing that had ever happened to me, aside from being thrown into another world.

Speaking of which, after having a nice discussion with Dr. Banner, I found out more about the Tesseract and the connection it had with my blood. Apparently somehow I had absorbed some kind of energy from the Tesseract. Now I connected the dots and found myself realizing that because of the Tesseract, I had special powers. Powers that I would need to learn how to control, according to Bruce.

"So... when do I start?" I asked warily. Things were happening so quickly that I needed time to get myself adjusted to my new schedule. Even if I was being trained by SHIELD agents I would need a job, one that could provide me with new housing since my old one was destroyed. And on top of that I still had school to worry about.

"As soon as you're ready," Fury replied.

I stood up, nervously shaking his hand. It was the first time I had ever made a commitment like this. I really hoped I didn't disappoint anyone, especially Widow and Hawkeye. The last thing I wanted was to be marked as another failure.

This was only the start of something so much bigger.

* * *

**AN: I could not resist finishing this. This story was kind of more like a prequel than anything else to the next installment. It will hopefully be longer and involve the movies and characters from the comics. I may not have read the comics but I do a lot of research on all the characters from the comics, so... yeah. Anywho, a huge thanks to everyone who reviewed, favorited and alerted this story. It means a lot, and I really do appreciate them all! Please keep an eye out for the sequel :)**


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